Turn It Up
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: Outtakes from "I Like It Loud," fun and games ensue from what we missed.
1. Happy Hooping

* * *

**BWA: Hiya!  
Emmett: It's great to see you!  
BWA: Indeed it is. First of all; welcome to "Turn It Up."  
Jasper: Woo!  
BWA: After "I Like It Loud" finished, quite a few people asked if I could do a series of outtakes. So, after being convinced by several people, I gave in. It's just basically going to be a bunch of random things that we've missed. Now, it's rated M, because I can't help myself - there will be a few lemons in this story. But not until later chapters.  
Edward: -Grumbles- Making me wait..  
Bella: Aww! Sexually frustrated Edward is adorable!  
Rosalie: Yes... adorable..  
Alice: -Giggles-  
Emmett: So, what's in this chapter?  
BWA: Ah, this chapter is right after Bella gets off the phone with the others in the final chapter of ILIL. You know? Where Emmett challenges Jasper to a Hula-Hoop Tournament?  
Emmett: Oh yeah..  
BWA: Well, this chapter is for one of my sisters, Liz4; she thought it would be amusing to imagine these crazy people playing the Hula-Hoop game on the Wii.  
Jasper: It was fun, though.  
BWA: Oh, I know. And it was an absolute crack up to write.  
Emmett: Shall we get on with the fun?  
BWA: Absolutely! I hope you like it!  
Emmett: Here we go!**

* * *

Alice squealed quietly, bouncing on the couch as she set her mobile phone down on the table. She, along with Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper – had just told Bella that Edward was waiting for her in their meadow. Now, all the rest of them had to do was find a way to pass the time.

"That was so sweet," Rosalie crooned as Emmett played with one of her golden curls.

Jasper laughed, tightening his arm around Alice's waist. "Honestly, I didn't think we'd get all the twinkle lights up in time. Were there always so many _trees_?"

Emmett stared at him for a moment, confusion crossing his features. "Well… yeah."

Alice smiled, glancing at the small bouquet of flowers that Edward had laid around the house, which were now in a tiny vase. "That really was a sweet gesture," She sighed.

Rosalie smiled in response. "He really loves her."

Jasper shook his head, incredulous. "Can you believe that we're all engaged now?"

Emmett laughed, shaking his head. "No way! I remember when I was a kid; the idea of getting married scared me more than eating my vegetables."

Rose giggled quietly, "And now look at you," She remarked.

Emmett grinned, flexing his muscles. "Yes, please do look at me." He smirked at Jasper, "Yeah, man. I give you permission to be jealous."

Jasper scoffed before picking up a cushion and launching it at Emmett's head. "Oh, ha ha."

Alice rolled her eyes before glancing at the muscled, blue eyed man. "Emmett, did you say something about a hula hoop tournament before?"

Emmett's smile grew as he reached for the TV remote, changing the channel so that the Wii symbol came up on the screen. "Why yes, my dear Alice; I did." He stood up, grabbing the little balance board. "I declare that we pass the time by holding a Hula-Hoop Tournament!" He shouted. "The requirements are; good balance, hips for swinging and a sense of humour!"

Jasper laughed and ran a hand through his honey blonde hair, "Good thing that Bella isn't here. With her balance? She'd end up breaking an ankle."

The large standing male shook his head, his blue eyes full of humour. "My silly little Bella-Ella."

Rosalie raised her hand with a smile, "I'm up for some hooping. Count me in."

The spiky haired pixie waved her arm around, grinning from ear to ear. "I could use some fun, and there's no way I'm gonna let Rose go up against you lot on her own."

Jasper chuckled, defeated. His southern drawl made his words slur slightly. "Well, it seems that I don't really have a choice now, do I?"

Emmett laughed, "Nope."

The four of them grabbed things to eat, games to play, and everything that they needed for their little Tournament – Alice had demanded that they be split into couples, she even tried for uniforms. So, by the time that they made their way back to the couch, Emmett was waiting, holding a Wii controller to his mouth like a microphone.

"Welcome, ladies and Jasper; to the first official McCarthy-Hale-Brandon-Whitlock Hula Hoop Tournament!" He bent forward as Alice gave a high pitched peal of laughter. "Now, you know the rules. And I must inform you, that if you hear Jasper complain about his shorts making his butt look big or if he whines about breaking a nail, pay him no mind. He's just very in touch with his feminine side." With a quick jump to the left, Emmett skilfully dodged another pillow.

"Jackass," Jasper muttered with a grin.

Rosalie grinned, "The original, but I love him."

Emmett cleared his throat, recapturing the attention of his friends. "Thank you, baby. I love you, too. Anyway! The team with the most points after three rounds shall be declared the winner and will be awarded with whatever we can find around the house."

Alice giggled, "I'm sure I can find something suitable."

Emmett smiled before gesturing to a coin on the table, "I shall now flip a coin, to see which team goes first." He grabbed the small silver circle before flicking it into the air.

"Heads!" Alice shouted just as Emmett slapped the coin against his hand.

Just to prolong the suspense, Emmett kept the coin hidden for a few good minutes until the others started whining. After a loud guffaw, he pulled his hand away, glancing down at the coin. The others were literally on the edge of their seats, suddenly very into this silly little game.

"It's heads!" Emmett cried, throwing the coin at Jasper, who swore as it went straight down his shirt.

Alice giggled and hopped up as Jasper mumbled, "Ladies first, partner?" The screen came up with Alice's little character as she stood on the white platform, bouncing from side to side as she waited for the thing to load. Emmett counted down with the game before Alice started moving.

Rosalie and Emmett howled with laughter as little tiny Alice struggled to keep the hoops moving. The more that were added on, the faster she had to swing her hips. Jasper watched with an amused smile as Alice worked to get her score high enough to win.

"Aw, crap!" She whined as she missed a hoop, effectively making her miss the one after it.

"Come on, Alice!" Rose cheered.

"Rose," Emmett complained. "You can't do that! You're cheering on the enemy right there."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, kissing his cheek. "You get too into this, Em."

Emmett was about to reply but was cut off by a loud, enthusiastic squeal from Alice who leaped from the board and did a little victory dance. She had finished her round with a total score of 219.

"Beat that, Rose." She teased, poking the blonde in the ribs as she sashayed past her tiny friend.

"With pleasure," She replied as Alice plopped down next to Jasper.

"You can do it, baby!" Emmett whooped, popping a chip in his mouth.

Rosalie rolled her shoulders, dancing more than hooping. Alice and Jasper laughed at the expression on Emmett's face as he watched his fiancés hips swing. If he went to get up, he would have slipped in his own spit. Rosalie ended up with a score of 340.

Alice wasn't happy about that.

Jasper was next; the whole time, Emmett tried to throw him off with smartass comments, teasing him with the threat of ordering pizza and then sneaking into his room later that night. Jasper's face paled a little.

When it was Emmett's turn, Jasper got his revenge. Alice loved fluffy cushions, and Jasper threw every single one of them at Emmett as he swung his hips.

"He swings his entire body instead of just his hips," Rosalie commented as Emmett dodged another pillow. "He reminds me of a dog. Like, the ones that when their tail wags, so does their butt."

Alice and Jasper burst into loud laughter as the comment broke Emmett's concentration and he missed a hoop.

Jasper kept the tally as the last round commenced. He had a shit-eating grin on his face, but he wouldn't tell anyone why it was there. He simply tapped the pencil against a notebook that Alice had handed to him. He scribbled on it every now and again but other than that, he didn't give anything away.

Once all three rounds were finished, Alice and Emmett stood up. Alice had raced upstairs to grab some of her tiaras that she used whenever she got dressed up for something. She had two gold ones and two silver ones.

"Now," Emmett began as the two blondes lounged around. Alice bounced like a crazy person. "The score sheet please, Jasper."

The honey blonde male happily handed the notebook to Alice, who blew him a kiss before she glanced at the writing. Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open with a little popping noise.

"It's a tie? Are you serious?" She squeaked.

"What?!" Emmett demanded, grabbing the paper. "You gotta be kidding me. Rematch!"

Even though Emmett was a big softie, he had a very competitive nature. At one point, he challenged Jasper to an arm wrestle every day for a week.

"No way," Rosalie replied.

Jasper grinned, "She thinks we cheat."

The stunning blonde rolled her bright blue eyes. "I know you cheat."

Alice shrugged, "Oh well." She threw the others a tiara each before placing one on her head and then stretching up on her toes to place one on Emmett's head. The big goof leaned down to whisper something in her ear for a few seconds before she squealed and slapped his shoulder. "No, Emmett! We're not going to give out condoms as participation awards!"

The group burst into loud laughter at the thought, and Rosalie asked where her wallet was, for she had some on her, making them laugh harder.

"Well," Jasper began once they had all stopped laughing. "We'll definitely have to do this again."

"When Bella's here," Emmett added.

Rosalie giggled, "Keep Carlisle on speed-dial, just in case she injures herself."

Their laughter continued on throughout the night as they continued their games.

Just friends being stupid.

As usual.

* * *

**BWA: So, what do you think?  
Alice: Hee! That was so cute!  
Emmett: I can't believe it was a tie..  
BWA: What? I couldn't pick a winner.  
Rosalie: -Laughs- That was the most fun I've had in a long time.  
Emmett: What do you think Ed and Bella were doing while we were there?  
Everyone: ....  
Jasper: -Coughs-  
Emmett: What?  
Alice: Oh man.. and yet he's the one always cracking the sex jokes.  
Emmett: ...OH! Oh, wow.  
Bella: -Giggles-  
Emmett: -Glares at Bella and Edward- You two are like rabbit's, seriously.  
Edward: Jealous?  
Emmett: Well.. if you call what Rose and I -  
BWA: No! Don't!!! Please, please, please don't! I just got the last mental picture out of my mind after you so graciously dumped it in there!  
Emmett: -Snorts- You shouldn't have been listening.  
BWA: You MADE me listen. You pretty much gave the rest of us a recount of your night.  
Rosalie: -Blushes-  
Emmett: Yeah, yeah. Whatever. -Grins-  
BWA: Gosh.. You can't help but love them, huh?  
Alice: Mmm.  
BWA: Anyway! That's about it from us, the next chapter will be up soon!  
Jasper: Drop us a review?  
Bella: Yeah! Come on! Show us some love!  
Edward: -Blushes-  
Rosalie: Until next time!  
Emmett: Happy hooping!**

* * *


	2. Good Times

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**BWA: Hey! -Waves- How's things?  
Emmett: We missed you!  
Edward: Hugs, anyone?  
Everyone: -Tackles Edward-  
BWA: Okay.. now that we've all had our hugs.. I'm so sorry that this took so long! I promised myself that I wouldn't have such a big gap.. but hey, what can you do?  
Bella: Emmett's legs look pretty now, I think.  
BWA: -Giggles- Shh, we don't want to give too much away.  
Alice: They do, though..  
Rosalie: Smooooooth.  
BWA: Okay, before we let you read, I have some major pimping to do.  
Jasper: Who do we have the pleasure of recommending today?  
BWA: The first story is called "Pushing Boundaries" by future. mrs. vampire. 13. I was actually able to convince her to publish it. It's her first multi-chapter story and I think she's doing really well so far. It's got the Edward and Bella we love with a very cheeky and cunning Horny Bella. It made me laugh.  
Emmett: Baha! Horny Bella.  
Bella: Suddup.  
Edward: I made her like that.  
Bella: You guys suck right now.  
Emmett: Are you sure it's not just you?  
Bella: -Blushes-  
BWA: -Giggles- Okay, Emmett. Leave her alone. The next story is called "Afraid To Fall" and it's by my lovely sister Liz4. It's one of the most heart-warming stories I've ever read in my life. It follows the growing attraction of Edward and Bella with sweetness and humour at every possible turn. I even get a mention in there. -Grins-  
Alice: She was pretty happy about it, too. She had a major fangirl moment.  
BWA: I also got Liz obsessed with Axle Whitehead, so she mentions him a lot. -Giggles- And, the last recommendation I'm going to give you lovely readers today is one of the hottest E&B stories to ever grace the awesomeness that is Fan Fiction. It's called "The Office" by tby789. It's sexy and sweet and beautifully wrapped up in the charming package that is The Office.  
Rosalie: Sounds yummy.  
BWA: -Laughs- It is. All three of those stories can be found in my favourites. And if you enjoy a good read, those are three that I suggest you look at.  
Emmett: Want to let them read now?  
BWA: Sure. Oh! Just so you're not confused.. You remember how, in ILIL, Emmett farts in Jasper's face during a game of Twister? Yes? Good. This is Jasper's pay back. The infamous leg waxing. -Giggles-  
Jasper: Alright.. let's go! I'm excited!  
**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. But, the crazy situations these kids get up to are thought up by me. :)**

* * *

I've learned a lot of things from my small, very strange, very lovable family. For starters, Alice loves to be serenaded by Jasper. Rosalie has a severe obsession with lingerie – one that I realized when Emmett ran out of her room with lacy undergarments slung over his shoulders. He'd even gone far enough to put one of her pretty bras on his head. Rose put him through hell for that. Jasper loves sitting on the roof of the boys' house, playing his guitar to the moon. And Edward loves it when I run my fingers through his hair while we lay together; it's resulted in him falling asleep several times.

Last but certainly not least – I've learned that Emmett sleeps like a rock when he's wasted.

It was on a particularly uninteresting Saturday night that I became aware of this fact. The six of us were sitting in the lounge room at the boys' place – our usual hang out. Emmett was sprawled out on the large couch while Alice and Rosalie sat on his stomach; Jasper was flipping through channels on the TV and Edward was sitting on a bean bag with me curled up on his lap.

"Is anyone else bored?" Jasper asked, giving up and turning the TV off.

"Dude," Emmett replied before pausing to let out a monstrous yawn. "I've been bored for the last hour."

Alice looked at the two boys with a sour expression, her bottom lip pushing out a little, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Emmett shrugged and huffed loudly, bouncing the two girls on his stomach, "Couldn't be bothered. But seriously… This has to be the most uneventful night of my life."

Edward raised an eyebrow, trailing his fingers through my hair, "Why don't we do something then?" He asked.

Emmett suddenly lurched up, knocking both girls onto the cushions, "Let's go out drinking!" He shouted. "I'm in the mood for some liquid gold."

Jasper smiled, stretching his arms. "Sure, why not? I wouldn't mind a night out."

Alice sat up, crossing her legs. "But, I don't have an outfit to wear…"

"Alice," Jasper sighed with a smile. "It doesn't matter, you look gorgeous either way." He soothed her. "You could make a paper bag look beautiful."

Emmett grinned, "Do we have any paper bags? I wouldn't mind testing that theory."

Rosalie scoffed and whacked him upside the head, "Shut up, idiot. Let's go already."

"Where are we going?" I asked, sitting up.

Jasper ran a hand through his blonde hair, "There's a karaoke bar not too far from here. It's called _Good Times._"

Alice giggled, "I've been there before. We went there for my friend Liz's twenty-first last year," she trilled, glancing at Rose and me. "Remember that?"

"Oh yeah," I laughed, remembering. "That was a good night."

"I heard they changed it around a little," Rose added.

Alice giggled again, "Might as well go and see."

Emmett grinned, swinging his legs over the side of the couch, "It's settled. Let's go already!"

* * *

A fast paced ten minutes later, the six of us were ready to leave. We separated into two cars; Edward and me in the Volvo and the rest in Emmett's massive Jeep. He really loved that car. Edward and I were quiet most of the way, stealing glances and holding hands – oh, how I loved him.

Emmett was practically vibrating by the time we got there. The place was very modern, bright lights and colours everywhere. It was a place where your mood brightened the second you walked in. Rosalie commented that it was like "dancing on a rainbow," and that the drinks were equivalent to "a party in your mouth."

I giggled as we walked in, seeing a group of girls singing along to a Taylor Swift song. Alice crinkled her nose – Taylor Swift wasn't a favourite of hers. Although Alice kept up to speed with the fashion world, she didn't always favour the latest artists. She preferred the "unknown greats," mainly bands that Jasper and the rest of us suggested.

We wandered through the small groups of people – it didn't look like they were up to their necks in customers tonight, which was good. It would be easier to get to the bar. Lights flickered as we all slid into a booth, colours being thrown across the large room.

"What a great place, huh?" Alice cried above the music as the girls finished singing. "It feels like ages since we've been here!"

"It _has_ been ages since we've been here!" Rosalie responded.

The night passed in a similar fashion, drinks were ordered, jokes were made, and more drinks were ordered. Emmett drank more than all of us put together – I worried that he'd need to be hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. But knowing him, he'd sleep it off and eat a disturbingly greasy breakfast tomorrow morning. Good thing the boys had a dishwasher.

As the night went on, the jokes got worse… when I say worse… I mean sex-related.

"I mean, why do girls need vibrators?" Emmett asked after downing a shot. "I mean, seriously… They've got men _and _electric toothbrushes. Do they really need anything else?"

Rosalie, who had been taking a sip of her drink suddenly coughed, choking slightly while the rest of us exploded with laughter.

"What's wrong, Rose? Emmett find your stash?" Jasper teased. He shook his head before turning to our bear-like buddy. "Maybe the only reason she has one is because you can't get the job done."

Emmett's expression twisted as he drunkenly considered the possibility. "I know for a fact that my Rosie gets more than what she needs in the bedroom," he slurred, blinking slowly as a lazy smile spread across his face. "Aint that right, baby?" He asked, pressing a wet kiss to Rosalie's cheek.

"Ew, Emmett your breath smells really bad." She giggled, effectively avoiding the question. We all knew that Rose was more than satisfied with her sex life – having heard Emmett brag about it on several occasions.

Emmett tapped his chin for a few moments, only managing to tap it once; missing the other two times he tried. "Then I guess I need a minty drink to solve my problem!" He cried, raising his hand above his head.

"Hang on, dude." Edward called, reaching into his pocket and throwing Emmett a piece of chewing gum. "Try that, and please, don't choke on it."

Emmett grudgingly took the gum and popped it in his mouth, chewing happily. Not too long after, he grabbed Alice's tiny hands and dragged her up to the stage. He looked through the list of songs before crying out joyfully, shouting for the music. I rolled my eyes and pushed my empty glass away. I was pleasantly buzzed, but I wasn't going to drink any more tonight.

Much to our amusement, Emmett and Alice sang the song that gave the bar its name. "Good Times by Latch Key Kid." I don't think I've ever seen anything so funny in my life. Emmett and Alice danced around, encouraging the now reasonably full bar to wave their hands above their heads and sing with them. Emmett even did his famous guitar solo during the instrumental part of the song. They got a very loud applause at the end, and they both bowed, dancing back to the table. Emmett ordered a few more drinks before we decided to call it a night.

"Do we have to leave?" Emmett asked as we helped him get into the passengers seat of his car. Jasper was going to drive him home while Rosalie and Alice came with us.

"Yes," Rosalie replied, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose, "Because if we didn't, you probably would have given the bar a strip tease and asked people if they wanted to take a ride on the _Cullen Express." _

Jasper smirked as he started the car, and Emmett called out his response as Rosalie hopped down and they pulled out of the car park. "That train only stops at your station, baby!"

"Good God," Alice laughed as we filed into the Volvo. "How much do you think he had tonight?"

"It scares me to think about it," I replied, taking Edward's hand in mine once again.

* * *

Jasper and Emmett beat us back to their apartment, and both were in the lounge room again by the time we got inside. I glanced at Jasper who was drinking a glass of water to Emmett who was out cold on the long couch.

"He won't be waking up until about midday tomorrow," Jasper laughed, standing up with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What are you thinking, Jasper" Edward asked, stepping forward to punch the blonde gently on the shoulder.

"Well," He began, leaning on the back of the couch. "I was just thinking back to that night we played Twister and Emmett… happened to burn the crap out of my eyes." We all laughed a little at the memory of Jasper getting farted on during a game of Twister. Edward and I had convinced him to let one rip for fifty bucks.

"What about it?" Alice asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I was thinking that, since he's dead to the world for the moment, I'd get my revenge."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "And how do you plan to do that?" I asked.

He pursed his lips, deep in thought. "You girls still have those wax strips, right?"

Alice giggled and nodded, "I put some in your bathroom."

Jasper grinned at his girlfriend, his eyes lighting up. "Perfect. Do you think you could go and get them for me?" He asked.

The short little pixie nodded, her blue eyes dancing. "No problem." She trilled before dancing towards the bathroom.

"You don't mind, do you, Rose?" Jasper asked, turning to the stunning blonde who had the final say in this situation.

Rosalie merely shrugged and glanced at me, "Go get the video camera, Bella. I want to be able to look back on this."

I giggled and made my way down the hallway to Edward's room. His video camera sat on the desk in his room and I held the small device in my hands for a few moments, slipping my hand under the Velcro strap before making my way back out to the others. I fiddled with the camera, turning it on and setting it up as I walked.

The others were all there when I got back – The wax strips along with the butterscotch goo were there. "The camera ready, Bella?" Rosalie asked as I came to stand next to Edward. He wrapped his arm around my waist and chuckled into my hair. They had obviously taken Emmett's jeans off, because his legs were bare. Thankfully, his shirt covered up his underwear. The last thing I needed was to see the outline of the "Cullen Express."

"Yep, it's all ready to go." I replied, pressing the record button.

"You know," Rose mused as they stuck a wax strip down on his leg. "I've always wondered what Emmett would look like with smooth, hairless legs. I guess we're about to find out, huh?"

Alice giggled and winked at the camera before raising her fingers in a silent countdown.

3… 2… 1…

The sharp ripping noise of the wax strip being pulled off rang loud and true in the practically silent house. We all slapped our hands over our mouths and watched Emmett's face as the silence stretched on. His top lip twitched a little and he mumbled something unintelligible before turning his head to the side, a quiet snore sounding from the back of his throat.

We laughed as Alice stroked the smooth spot on his leg, "Ooh, pretty." She crooned. It looked strange seeing a clean rectangle of skin surrounded by a severely hairy pair of legs. "We should do this more often."

The following twenty minutes consisted of Emmett getting all traces of hair removed from his legs. Thankfully, it was an easy process, our efforts being rewarded by a random twitch or noise from Emmett. For the last few patches of hair, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie all put separate wax strips down and ripped them off in unison. Edward stayed by my side, the two of us laughing like idiots.

The following morning… or afternoon – Emmett woke to find his legs clean, smooth and very pretty looking. The expression on his face was absolutely hilarious. Both his eyebrows were raised, his mouth hanging open as he stroked his legs with the tips of his fingers.

I ended up humming the song Emmett and Alice had sung at the bar as we threw the wax strips in the bin before we went to bed that night.

Good times, indeed.

* * *

**Emmett: -Groans- How did I not notice that?  
Jasper: That's what happens when you get wasted.  
BWA: -Giggles- Well, what did you think? Did they do a good job at waxing his legs?  
Alice: Of course we did.  
Rosalie: They look all purdy now.  
BWA: They sure do.  
Emmett: Yeah, yeah. Shuddup.  
BWA: Aw, come on, Emmett. It's all in good fun. -Cuddles-  
Emmett: Alright. Any more suggestions?  
Edward: Props to Liz!  
BWA: Yes! Major props to my sister, Liz; who I happened to mention earlier. For all of you lovely readers who are still waiting for 15 Step, I'm very sorry that it's taking so long! But I have to finish another story before I can get back to it. But, I'm still brainstorming with my sister whenever I have a spare minute! We've come up with some fabulous ideas to make the story extra sweet. -Giggles- She helps to calm me down when I freak out about it not being up already. So, once again, I'm sorry for the wait but I am working on it! I promise!  
Bella: Yay!  
BWA: And of course, a big hello to my other sisters, MissNickyTwilight and LadyRobinHood. -Waves- And, hello to my friends Carlie and Ashley! Hi girls! -Waves some more-  
Rosalie: You can be so strange sometimes.  
BWA: Oh, I know.  
Jasper: But that's why we love her.  
BWA: Honestly, I wish I could cuddle and give each and every one of you your very own Cullen for leaving me such fabulous reviews. But the most I can do is update again and reply to said reviews! But, I love you all!  
Alice: Do you think we should stop boring them now?  
BWA: Probably.. Okay, in the next chapter, we're going all the way back - two years back actually, to the very first meeting between Edward and Bella! I'll probably do one chapter in BPOV and then another in EPOV. What do you think?  
Emmett: I think it's a good idea.  
BWA: Cool. Okay, well, you know the drill. Click on that lovely little button and show us some love.  
Edward: See you again soon!  
Everyone: -Waves-**

* * *


	3. The First Meeting

* * *

**BWA: I'm sorry! I really didn't mean for this update to take so long.. -Sigh- I've been really busy lately, but I've finally got my new laptop, so I have plenty of time to write. The updates should be a little more frequent now.  
Emmett: Apology accepted! -Cuddles-  
BWA: Emmett... cant... breathe...  
Emmett: Oops. -Lets go-  
BWA: -Gasps for breath- Wow.. You've got a good grip on you.  
Rosalie: Don't I know it.  
BWA: Oh, ew, Rose! I didn't want to know that.  
Rosalie: Of course you did.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Anyway, as promised, this is the very first meeting between Edward and Bella!  
Bella: I'm nervous!  
BWA: Eh, you shouldn't be.  
Alice: When it comes to what I make her wear.. she should be.  
Bella: -Whimpers-  
Edward: This chapter made me appreciate marshmallows a little more.  
Jasper: -Laughs- Get some, Eddie!  
Edward: -Grins-  
BWA: Anyway, once again, I'm sorry that this took so long! And, as usual - Thanks to my sister Liz, who actually suggested that I write about the very first meeting. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you like it!  
Emmett: Make sure you've got your sunscreen, kiddies! Let's go!**

* * *

The sunlight peeked over the trees, washing the shadows away from my face. My eyelids fluttered and I sighed in satisfaction from the warmth. I loved sunrises. My eyes opened and immediately flicked to my bedroom window, I always wanted a balcony outside my room – unfortunately, Alice called the shots before I was able to. It didn't matter; my room had the best view.

A small yawn made its way up my throat and out, my lips parting and shaping into an "O" as I arched my back, stretching my arms and legs out like a cat. Another sigh filled the room as I relaxed onto the mattress. I couldn't help but think that I was forgetting something – I knew the girls had been rambling on about something they'd planned a few days beforehand, but in my current relaxed state, my mind was too fogged up to remember what it was.

I pulled my blanket closer before glancing at the door and then at my bedside clock. 9:14… Any minute now…

I watched the clock with wide, unblinking eyes.

9:15.

"Bella!" A high voice trilled, my door swinging open. I squealed and dived under my blankets, curling into a ball in the middle of my mattress.

"You'll never take me alive, Alice!" I cried.

The little pixie laughed and patted around on the blanket, avoiding me, even though she knew I was there.

"Oh no!" She squealed. "My dear Bella is drowning in her blankets! I must dive into the white sea and save her!"

I barely had time to register what she meant before the lightest of grown women launched herself onto my bed, landing on me with perfect precision. I squirmed and giggled under my blanket.

"Hold on, me hearty! I'll save ye!" She shouted, tickling my sides through the material I was hiding under.

"Since when did we go Pirate?" I heard Rosalie ask from my door. She laughed when she took in the scene in front of her. "There's a simple solution to this, Alice." She crooned. I listened as her footsteps grew closer, stilling when I felt the gentle tug of my blanket. I gave a high pitch squeal of amusement when she suddenly ripped the blanket off the bed, effectively making Alice topple to the floor, erupting in giggles.

I grinned and buried my face into the mattress. "Good morning, girls." I laughed.

Rosalie grinned, "Good morning, babe. Now come on, get your gorgeous ass out of bed, we have plans." She instructed, whacking me on the butt before turning and gliding out the door, laughing as she went.

"You okay down there, Alice?" I asked with a giggle.

A small hand shot up from the side of my bed, the fist curling as the thumb stuck straight up. "I'm good!"

* * *

After I had breakfast, showered and brushed my teeth, I wandered downstairs in search of my brush; wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel.

Rosalie was perched on the kitchen bench, eating an apple. She smiled at me and wiggled her fingers.

The three of us had been living together for just over a year now, we all put in some money to buy our first apartment straight out of high school. Alice and I had met in our freshman year, and were best friends by the end of the week. We never looked back. Rosalie moved to Forks from California in our junior year. Alice had taken her under her wing and we immediately welcomed her in with open arms, fighting off the jerks that tried to get their hands on her.

Within the year that we had been living together, Rosalie had met Emmett; her boyfriend of three months. She met him at the gym one day, getting his number on her way out the door. He came over with his roommate Jasper one afternoon, and Alice immediately latched on to the Southern blonde. They got along famously if I do say so myself.

Alice was convinced that Jasper was "The One." And no one argued the point.

You don't bet against Alice.

You just don't.

The two boys warmed to me like a dog to a chew toy. They were like the big brothers I never had. Emmett was such a goofball, talking about the most random things, raiding our fridge and crushing me to him in one of his massive bear hugs. I was surprised he hadn't shattered my ribs with the force that he used.

Jasper was quieter but just as sweet. Our main topic of conversation was music. He played the guitar like a pro, and would always have a new band to suggest or a new tune that he'd written whenever he came over. He had a good sense of humor and was always there for comfort.

I was snapped out of my dreaming by Alice flitting past me, tugging on my towel. I squealed and held it closer to my skin. "What was that for?"

Alice rolled her big blue eyes, "I was talking to you and you didn't say anything. I just needed a way to get your attention."

This was another thing I found strange. Jasper had blue eyes, Alice had blue eyes, Emmett had blue eyes and Rosalie had blue eyes.

That's a lot of blue eyes.

I found it funny that the only single person was me, and I had brown eyes.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, a frustrated smirk on her face. She had her hands on her hips and was looking at me with big eyes. She was only 4'10 after all.

"What?" I asked, dazed.

"I said you're not allowed to put any clothes on." She repeated.

My eyes widened, "Why not?"

"Because she wants to have her wicked way with you." Rosalie teased with a grin.

I smiled brightly, "No different than usual. There's no way Alice is getting into my pants."

"Of course not," Alice replied with an innocent smile. "I get into Jasper's."

"Oh, ew! Alice, come on!" I squealed, looking away.

Rosalie scrunched her nose up at the apple she was eating before putting it down on the bench she was sitting on. "You know… I was thinking of having a banana later… but I really don't want one, now."

I laughed with a roll of my eyes. "So, going back to my lack of clothing. Why am I not allowed to put said clothes on?"

Alice flicked some of her short, black hair away from her eyes. "Because we're going out."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "So… You want me to go wherever it is we're going without clothes? Is there a bet I lost that I don't know about?" I asked.

She laughed, "Maybe I should explain a little better. We're going to the beach; it's a gorgeous day, and you can't wear clothes to the beach. You're wearing swimmers."

"Oh," I huffed. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?" I asked.

Rosalie smirked, "Because she's an idiot."

Alice giggled and flipped off the blonde bombshell. "I've laid out your lovely swimwear on your bed, Bella. Go and put it on, and please… no complaining." She pleaded, shooing me away.

"I make no promises!" I shouted as I walked back to my room.

* * *

There was lots of complaining.

Like I said, I make no promises.

Alice had decided to put me in this pathetic excuse of a bikini. It was midnight blue in colour and left my entire stomach bare, only just covering my chest. There wasn't really much to say about the bottoms, I was just grateful that they covered everything they were supposed to.

"Alice, please!" I whined as the pixie-girl tried to push me out the front door. "Can't I have something to wrap myself in? Honestly. I look ridiculous!"

Alice rolled her eyes again, walking to Rosalie's car. It was a nice day and the top was down, so we decided to take the M3. Alice was wearing a tiny little bikini as well, so I was happy to say that mine was a bit more on the modest side. The thing was yellow and had strings going this way and that, joining the top and the bottom together one way or another. I don't even know how she managed to put it on.

Rosalie's was very… well… Rosalie. It was completely backless, the ties meeting around her neck. It dipped straight down her chest, held together by a tiny string between her impressive cleavage. The bottoms were much the same as mine, except her swimsuit was blood red in colour. As usual.

"You do not look ridiculous, Bella!" Alice scolded.

Rosalie laughed, getting in the drivers seat of her car as Alice hopped in the passenger's seat and I slinked into the back. "Put it this way, Bella." Rosalie added. "If I was a guy, I'd be trying to get into your lack of pants."

I blushed as they laughed.

The drive was short and sweet, and it shocked me to see how many cat-calls we got as we sped through the streets. My hair blew out wildly behind me, but I didn't care. I tipped my head back, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on my skin. The sky was crystal clear, not a cloud in sight. Just as I liked it.

"Oh, Bella?" Alice began as we pulled up at the beach car park.

"Yeah?" I asked, sinking into my seat as a group of surfers walked past our car, nodding and smiling in approval.

"Emmett and Jasper have got a new roommate, so they brought him along with them."

My eyes popped wide, "Are you serious? You mean I have to see not only Jasper and Emmett, but some guy I don't even know wearing a scrap of clothing?!"

Rosalie laughed, "Yeah, pretty much."

I groaned, dropping my face into my hands. This day was full of surprises.

"You guys suck," I whined.

Alice grinned, jerking her thumb towards Rosalie, "And she blows."

Rosalie laughed, her eyes narrowing playfully, "Well you -"

"Okay!" I cried rather loudly, "Enough talk about your blow job techniques, please!" I didn't realize how loud I yelled the last part of my sentence until a group of guys a few parks away from us started cheering.

Rosalie and Alice burst into loud laughter while I tried to sink further into my seat.

"Only you, Bella." Alice laughed.

After another round of giggles, we all hopped out of the car. I went to wind my arms around my stomach to hide my pale skin, but Alice wouldn't let me. I sighed and wandered after them, playing with a lock of my hair.

I heard Emmett before I saw him. A loud whoop and yet another cat-call told us that we'd found who we were looking for. I glanced up to see the gigantic muscles of Emmett's arms ripple as he peeled his shirt from his body. I looked away with a blush staining my cheeks. Rosalie liked his muscles more than any of us. I found them a little scary and intimidating sometimes.

Rosalie laughed and jogged ahead of us; Emmett scooped her up into his arms and pressed a large kiss on her perfect, rosy lips. He looked up when Alice and I made our way over.

"Hey there, girls!" He cried, waving enthusiastically. I laughed and shook my head. "Wow, Bella. You look rather hot today." He laughed. "How much nagging did it take before you gave in?"

I bit my lip with a smile, "About ten minutes."

Alice giggled from her spot in Jasper's arms. Why is it that guys prefer to have their shirts off all the time? "A new record!" She cried.

I laughed, "Hey Jasper." I greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Bella. Good to see you." He replied.

Emmett grinned and turned his head to look towards the monstrous Jeep parked not too far away, "Edward, come on, man! What's taking you so long?"

"Sorry, my phone fell under the seat. It was a pain in the ass to find, I'll tell you that." I shivered as a velvet voice rang out from behind me, goose bumps rolled across my body in a smooth wave.

Rosalie kept her eyes on my face, watching my expression as I stared out at the waves. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, seeing a large smile spread across her face.

Emmett laughed, "I lost a sandwich down there once… I never found it."

"Ew!" Alice whined.

Jasper chuckled and clapped someone on the shoulder; I didn't tear my eyes away from the waves. "Edward, this is my girlfriend, Alice. That's Rosalie over there, and the charming little brunette over there by herself is Bella."

I took a deep breath and turned around to face the others. My eyes locked with a pair of eyes so green that my thoughts ran away screaming, leaving me completely dazed and incoherent.

The man known as Edward was the most attractive person I've ever seen in my life. He, like the other boys paraded around without a shirt, and I was most grateful for it. He had a muscled chest, his abs trailing down towards his navel, where a sprinkling of bronze hair lead towards his board shorts. My mouth went dry when I took in the stunning V of his hips. I licked my lips, imagining what his skin would taste like.

I managed to pull my eyes away from his mouthwatering torso, my gaze traveling up to his face, taking in his ripped biceps on the way up. I took in the small bump of his Adams apple against his throat before I traced the sharp line of his jaw with my eyes. My toes curled into the sand as butterflies assaulted my stomach. He had a straight nose with the tiniest little bump at the top, a mop of bronze hair that made my fingers itch; I wanted nothing more than to see if it was a soft as it looked. I took a deep breath as I reached the end of my exploration, my gaze flicking to his full, pouty lips which were pulled up into a lop-sided smile. I heard a small giggle come from somewhere which snapped me from my obvious ogling. I blushed at least ten shades of red, meeting his piercing emerald gaze once again.

Edward smiled at me, his eyes raking from my toes to my face and I shivered from the intensity of his gaze. He reached up and ran his right hand through his tousled bronze hair which was already sticking in every possible direction. He took a few steps forward until he stood before me, his arm outstretched. "Edward Cullen," He said, the smooth tone of his voice made my legs tremble. "It's a _pleasure _to meet the infamous Bella Swan that Emmett talks about so much."

I laughed nervously, placing my hand in his own. A quiet gasp escaped my lips as sparks shot up my arm; I had to force my eyes to stay on his instead of rolling back into my head from the feel of it.

"All good things, I hope." I replied, rather confidently I might add.

Edward smiled brightly, squeezing my fingers. "Only the best."

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

As the day rolled on, the conversation sparked and grew more in-depth. Edward told the group of how he'd been in Chicago for a few years, living with some friends from school. He got tired of the same old scenery and decided it was time for a change. Emmett had offered for him to live with them, having met Edward once before. Edward readily agreed.

The whole time we spoke, and even when we all went for a dip in the water, me getting dunked by waves most of the time – I never got bored. I was totally intrigued by Edward and listened intently to everything he had to say. The deep, musical sound of his voice had me squirming in my spot on the sand after a while.

When the sun began to set, I noticed that Alice and Emmett started making trips to the cars and back. When Alice came back with a handful of bags, my confusion increased a great deal.

"What's all that, Alice?" I asked.

She smiled at me, "Clothes and stuff. We thought we'd have a bonfire."

Rosalie laughed, "I haven't been to a bonfire in years."

Emmett grinned as he walked back into view with bags upon bags of food, sitting them next to the giant pile of logs and other things that I didn't notice until just now. Eventually, they got the fire going and we all made a circle around it, sitting on towels and fold up chairs.

Edward came to sit next to me as Alice started passing a bag of marshmallows around. Emmett threw sandwiches and chips left and right. I was momentarily stunned into silence at the way the golden light from the flames accentuated the gorgeous features of Edward's face. He'd put his shirt back on, just as I had thrown on a pair of denim short shorts and an ocean blue tank top.

"Hey, you." He greeted, sitting down on the towel I was currently occupying. "Mind if I join you?"

I smiled, putting a few marshmallows on a stick and holding it over the fire. "Not at all."

He relaxed, bracing his arms out behind him and leaned back a little, my eyes followed the movement. "It's nice to be welcomed into such a great group of people."

I laughed a little, "Yeah, they're fantastic. I love them to bits."

"How long have you known them?" He asked.

I bit my lip in thought, noticing the way that Edward's eyes flicked down to my lips before shooting back to my eyes. "Um… Well, I met Alice and Rose in high school, and I've known Emmett and Jasper for a few months. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Edward nodded, his lips pulling upwards again, "I can totally understand that."

I blinked slowly, trying to regain my thoughts as I pulled my stick away from the fire. The marshmallows were absolutely perfect, gooey and crisp, just as I liked them.

Edward spoke as I blew on them to take the heat away. "You know, in all the bonfires I've been to, we never had marshmallows."

I almost dropped my stick.

"You didn't have marshmallows? Then that's hardly a bonfire. It's just a bunch of people sitting around a pile of burning sticks." I explained.

"So, the marshmallows are what make it a bonfire?" He asked, amused.

I grinned, "Of course." I plucked one of the white cushions from the top of the stick and held it out to him without thinking. "Try it."

He smiled at me, and instead of taking it out of my hands, he gently wrapped his hand around my wrist, raising it towards his face. I stopped breathing as he raised my fingers to his mouth, wrapping his lips around the marshmallow as well as the tips of my fingers. My eyes fluttered shut as he sucked the gooey leftovers from my fingers. He released them with a _pop. _

"You're right," He said, his eyes boring into my own. "They do make the bonfire."

I laughed breathlessly, watching as he plucked the other marshmallow from the stick and held it up to my lips without a word. I watched his expression as I took the little puff of white into my mouth, humming in pleasure at the sweetness mixed with the taste of Edward's skin. I wrapped my tongue around the tips of his fingers, watching as his breathing accelerated. I didn't know if we were flirting, but hell, I was going to take advantage of the opportunity to get close to him.

I smiled as he pulled his fingers out of my mouth, his eyes wide. I took a calming breath and turned back to him, his eyes were fixed on my lips.

"Something wrong?" I asked, running my tongue along my bottom lip.

He blinked and shook his head with a smile, reaching out and brushing his pointer finger across the corner of my mouth. When he pulled it away, he had some leftover marshmallow on there. I blushed but watched with heavy-lidded eyes as he sucked the goo from his finger, the one that had just been in my mouth.

Freaking hell.

* * *

We didn't leave until late that night – we all sat around the fire, sharing funny stories, telling jokes, eating food and throwing marshmallows at each other. It was a very enjoyable night. Everyone warmed to Edward, but he never left my side the whole night. My heart skipped a beat when I thought of that.

By the time the embers had flickered out, we decided it was time to go. I picked up my towel, shaking the sand off it before I draped it over my arm. Edward followed me back to the car with the others. I threw my towel in the backseat and turned around to face him again.

"I had fun tonight," I whispered.

He smiled, "So did I. It was good to get to know everyone."

I nodded and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "So, will I see you around?"

He laughed, nodding his head, "I'm sure of it."

With a bright smile, I turned and got into the car; Edward closed the door once I was comfortable.

"Until next time, Bella." He purred, turning my body to mush.

"I look forward to it," I replied, feeling more confident than I had in a long time.

As we drove off, I glanced up at the moon, a smile on my face. My thoughts full of Edward Cullen and his crooked smile.

* * *

**BWA: And there you have it!  
Edward: -Gapes at screen-  
BWA: ..Edward?  
Edward: She.. marshmallow... yum... Bella... fingers.. -Faints-  
BWA: ... Uh.. What do we do with him?  
Emmett: Just leave him there.  
BWA: -Shrugs- Mkay. So, what did you think? Was it cute? Did you catch their little flirty moment? Even with that, they STILL think that their feelings are reciprocated. I'm working with a bunch of idiots.  
Bella: You made us oblivious, I'll have you know!  
BWA: ........Shut up.  
Alice: -Laughs-  
Rosalie: So, what's next?  
BWA: Well, it's going to be the same theme, the first meeting, but it's gonna be in EPOV.  
Jasper: Interesting... So... there'll be more marshmallows, right?  
BWA: Yep. You know what's funny? I don't like marshmallows all that much unless they're in hot chocolate or they've been held over a bon fire.  
Jasper: ..Fair enough.  
Edward: -Groans-  
Bella: Do you think he's okay?  
Alice: I'm sure he's fine.. You just overwhelmed him with your finger sucking talents.  
Rosalie: I'm so proud.  
Jasper: Why did you suck his fingers anyway?  
Alice: Do we really need a reason? He enjoyed it, didn't he?  
Jasper: I suppose he did.  
Edward: -Mumbles- Marshmallows...  
Emmett: I hear you, Eddie! I want more marshmallows! -Holds up protest sign-  
BWA: Okay, okay.. I'll go and get some more marshmallows from the kitchen.  
Emmett: Woo! -Throws BWA onto his back- Let's go!  
BWA: Wait! Let me know what you thought of this chapter. You know I love hearing from you. We'll see you again real soon!  
Emmett: With more marshmallows!  
BWA: Of course! Okay, giddy up, Emmett!  
Emmett: -Runs off-  
BWA: -Squeals and giggles-  
Alice: -Rolls eyes-  
Rosalie: You gotta love them.  
Jasper: Yeah.  
Edward: -Burps-  
Bella: Ew.**

* * *


	4. Do It Again

**

* * *

**

BWA: Well, after an epic fail from our new computer, a holiday and just a total lack of free time, this update took waaaaaaay longer than what I had planned. I didn't mean for it to take so long, and for that, I apologize profusely.  
Emmett: It's okay!  
BWA: I hope so; and I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again! Anyway, on to a more positive note, this chapter is the first meeting from Edward's point of view.  
Edward: It's my time to shine, baby! -Runs in circles-  
Bella: -Runs in circles, too, but trips and falls over-  
Edward: ... I was supposed to catch her, wasn't I?  
Alice: .. Yeah.  
Jasper: -Snorts-  
Rosalie: Nice going, Eddie.  
BWA: -Giggles- Anyway, we're going to go and make sure Bella hasn't bruised herself up too badly. We'll see you down below!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the crazy things they get up to are my own thoughts and ideas. Woo!

* * *

EPOV

I stepped away from my now full CD shelf with a satisfied smile on my face. I had moved in with Jasper and Emmett three days ago, and from spending all my time unpacking all my boxes, I had finally gotten it done. I was very proud of myself, normally I was extremely lazy; but I really wanted to get it over and done with.

Glancing out my bedroom window, I smiled brightly at the clear blue sky and shining sun; perfect weather, absolutely beautiful. Realizing that I had yet to have breakfast, and that there were some delicious smells coming from down the hallway, my stomach snarled violently and I laughed, patting my gut.

With one last look at the sunlight that spilled into my room, I turned and made for the door; smells of egg, bacon, tomato and toast reaching my nose. I groaned in longing and walked briskly down the hall, hearing the smooth tones of a guitar coming from somewhere in the lounge room. When I cleared the hall, I saw Emmett in the kitchen, flipping bacon and eggs, buttering toast and lip syncing to the song that filled the room. Jasper was sitting on the couch, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke quietly into the receiver.

"Jimmy Hendrix?" I asked, cocking my head towards the stereo where The Wind Cries Mary was playing gently.

Emmett looked up and smiled brightly, "Hey Eddie!" He cried, waving the butter knife in the air with a cheesy grin. "All unpacked?" He smiled at his massive stereo and put a plate on the bench, full of food. "Eat up, buddy. There's nothing like a bit of Jimmy in the morning."

I chuckled at his bright and happy attitude; Emmett sure was easy to be around. "Thanks, man. I'm starving – and yeah, I just unpacked my last box about five minutes ago."

"Good on you! I think I've still got a box or two sitting around that I've yet to unpack, and we've been here… getting close to a year and a bit now."

I laughed, taking a bite of my toast, my stomach cheering at the thought of the food that was on its way down to say hi. Jasper came to stand next to me a few minutes later, Emmett now chowing down his food. The blonde nodded in good morning before scarfing down his breakfast. I smiled, shaking my head as I joined them.

Once we were done, Jasper started loading the dishwasher while Emmett and I conversed, both resting against the kitchen bench, on opposite sides. I laughed when Emmett scrunched his nose up in thought, as if wondering how to word something. "Have either of you two ever gotten it on with music playing in the background?"

Jasper chuckled, well used to Emmett's tendency of blurting out whatever came to his mind. "A few times; the most memorable was with Shiver by Coldplay – that was a great night."

Emmett smirked, "You think Coldplay was good. Try Nine Inch Nails, perfection."

"Closer?" Jasper asked, passing him.

"You know it, baby." Emmett laughed. "So, was that Alice on the phone?"

I smiled warmly; Jasper and Emmett had been seeing their girlfriends for just over three months; their names were Rosalie and Alice and I had yet to meet them. Emmett was always going on about a third girl named Bella; apparently she was clumsy as all hell, smart-assed, funny and blushed at just about everything. I was looking forward to meeting her.

"Yeah, it was Alice. The girls are going down to the beach today and they wanted to know if we were interested in going down with them. I said we'd be there so hurry up and get ready."

"Shotgun!" I cried, listening as Emmett whined; Jasper had a bathroom connected to his room, so the big bear would have to wait.

Once I got to the bathroom, I stripped down and turned on the water, watching as steam filled the room and enveloped my senses. I waved a hand in front of my face, watching as the steam swirled about before I stepped under the warm spray.

Thinking back to our earlier conversation, I was glad that Jasper and Emmett hadn't asked me about the whole, sleeping with something thing. I didn't have a sex life just yet. I know, nineteen and still a virgin. I just didn't want to throw something so special away on a stupid whim or one night stand. I wanted it to be special, something I could give to the girl I planned on spending the rest of my life with.

Sighing quietly, I finished up as quickly as I could, turning the water off once I was done and wrapping one of the fluffy white towels that Alice had gotten for us around my waist before I made my way down the hall back to my room. I had a pair of white board shorts which I put on; they had a blue rim and all that. I threw on a white wife beater and rubbed the towel over my head to dry my hair. When I pulled it away, the bronze mess was sticking in all directions. I laughed, ran my hand through it and gave up.

All ready, we got in Emmett's epic jeep and made our way down to the beach, Emmett's music playing so loud that the car shook a little with each thump of the bass. Emmett honked at everyone we passed, just to be an idiot.

It was pretty funny.

* * *

We were the first ones to arrive at the beach; there were other groups there, guys with their surfboards and girls wanting to soak up the sun. Blonde, fake tans, no doubt got around a bit. I don't see how guys could be attracted to them, I wanted someone soft, sensual, tempting – someone that could be herself around me, someone I could joke with and actually talk to. Most of my friends back in Chicago joked around and said they thought I was gay, but really, I was just waiting for the right girl.

Emmett and Jasper grabbed our stuff from the back of the car while I went to stand at the water's edge, feeling the ripples touch my toes. I curled my toes into the sand with a smile, watching at the waves rose up from the rest of the ocean, arching gracefully before tumbling back down and colliding with the clear water. It really was a sight to see when you actually paid attention.

"Hey, Edward," I heard Emmett call from the Jeep. "I think your phone's ringing!"

"Shit," I mumbled before turning to sprint back to the car. I had left it sitting on the seat but it must have fallen off. My message tone was squealing and I managed to find it after a few minutes of searching. It was a friend of mine from Chicago letting me know that he proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes. I sent back my congratulations, glancing over my shoulder when a group of surfers broke out into loud cheers. No less than a minute later did Emmett call me again.

"Edward, come on, man! What's taking you so long?"

I ran a hand through my hair, realizing that the girls must be here; I took a deep breath and turned to jog back to the group of people that had expanded from two to five. "Sorry, my phone fell under the seat. It was a pain in the ass to find, I'll tell you that." I replied with a grin, watching as Jasper nodded in understanding while Emmett appeared to be deep in thought, glancing at his car and back to the stunning blonde in red that stood by his side.

"I lost a sandwich down there once…" Emmett mused. "I never found it."

"Ew!" Squealed a short, pixie like girl with spiky, jet black hair and blue eyes that matched Jasper's, Emmett's and the other blonde girl. The third girl that was here was facing the waves, so I couldn't see her eyes. I did, however, take notice of the mahogany locks that tumbled in graceful waves down her back.

Jasper chuckled quietly and slapped my bare shoulder, for I had peeled my shirt off after I sent the earlier mentioned reply to my recently engaged friend. "Edward, this is my girlfriend, Alice." He began, gesturing to the pixie who smiled brightly at me, her eyes gleaming. "That's Rosalie over there," he continued, waving towards the stunning blonde at Emmett's side. Nothing like the blonde girls I had seen earlier. "And the charming little brunette over there by herself is Bella."

I watched as Bella's shoulders rose and then dropped; giving the image that she was taking a deep breath. She paused before turning to face me, and I swear my heart stopped when she looked at me.

She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen in my life. Long wavy hair, dark brown in colour with a hint of red when the sun hit it just right; pale, porcelain skin that looked soft to the touch but held a blush in her cheeks – she was strawberries and cream. She wore a deep blue bikini that set off the colour of her skin, tempting me to the point of insanity. She looked so alluring, so sensual that my heart began to pound.

My gaze slowly crept up to her face, taking in the full curve of her rosy lips, her blushing cheeks – my heart, which had been racing just seconds earlier, came to a screeching halt when I stared into the most gorgeous chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen in my life. They swirled and danced and made my legs shake.

Blinking slowly, her lips parted and she smiled slightly, her cheeks flushing. I smiled in response and walked forward, running my hand nervously through my hair. I stretched my arm towards her as I spoke. "Edward Cullen," I greeted. "It's a _pleasure _to meet the infamous Bella Swan that Emmett talks about so much." I decided to tease a little, just to see what kind of a reaction I'd get. She didn't come over as too flirty, she was sensual and calm as she laughed gently and placed her hand in my own.

Before I could prepare myself, an electric pulse shot up my arm, across my chest and down to my toes, making my whole body tingle in delight. Bella gasped so quietly that if I hadn't been listening so intently, I would have missed it. Her eyelids fluttered before she spoke in a voice that would put that of a siren's to shame.

"All good things, I hope."

I smiled brightly, squeezing her fingers and feeling static zing up my arm again. "Only the best."

I had a feeling she was going to keep me on my toes.

* * *

Throughout the day, the conversation we had started never dwindled. I told my new friends the story of how I came to move from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest. I had met Emmett once before, and, when I decided to make a change, he offered to let me live with him and I didn't hesitate to accept. I realized now, with a glance at Bella, that it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

Eventually, we went for a swim; most of the time, Bella got dunked by the graceful waves that rolled around us. She came up coughing and spluttering but laughing it off and going out again. I found it very cute. I wanted to hold her hand and let her cling to me to prevent her from getting thrown beneath the surf again.

I noticed that, as the sun began to near the horizon, Alice and Emmett started making trips from where we sat, to their cars and back again. Each time bringing back a bag or two. Bella seemed to notice as well for she spoke as Alice made a return trip, putting some bags on the ground

"What's all that, Alice?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

The pixie smiled widely, "Clothes and stuff. We thought we'd have a bonfire."

Rosalie gave a high, melodic laugh, reaching for a bag and pulling out some clothes, "I haven't been to a bonfire in years."

As Jasper and Emmett gathered logs for the fire, Bella changed into a pair of denim short shorts and a tank top that matched the sky. She was torturing me. Eventually, the fire roared to life and we all crowded around it, making a circle of towels and fold up chairs. I was across the circle from Bella; so, to make up for the distance, I got up and walked over to her, watching as the golden light from the flames made her all the more alluring. She glanced up at me as I sat on the towel beside her, her chocolate eyes dancing.

"Hey, you." I chimed, watching as she stuck a few marshmallows on a stick and held it over the fire. "Mind if I join you?"

She smiled at me, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. "Not at all."

I sighed, leaning back on my arms and letting my muscles relax; I noticed that Bella watched my movements from the corner of her eye. "It's nice to be welcomed into such a great group of people." I said quietly, watching as the flames danced towards the sky. Jasper had a marshmallow balancing on his nose and Alice was shaking with giggles as he swayed, trying to keep it sitting there.

Bella laughed quietly to herself, her hair shuddering in the gentle breeze. "Yeah, they're fantastic. I love them to bits." She replied, her tone full of affection.

"How long have you known them?" I asked, immersed in everything she had to say.

She turned to face me, her teeth pushing down against her bottom lip; my eyes flicked to her lips and back up to her eyes. "Um…" she whispered, thinking intently. "Well, I met Alice and Rose in high school, and I've known Emmett and Jasper for a few months." She paused, a lazy smile tugging at her lips. "I wouldn't trade them for anything."

I nodded in agreement, already noticing the bonds I'd made with these silly teenagers. "I can totally understand that."

I watched as she blinked slowly, her lips parting again as she watched my expression. I took a deep breath and she shook her head minutely, pulling her stick away from the fire and blowing on the gooey marshmallows to cool them down. My heart thumped at the perfect "O" her lips made as she exhaled.

"You know, in all the bonfires I've been to, we never had marshmallows." I mused, watching as she froze and turned back to look at me with wide eyes.

"You didn't have marshmallows?" She asked in mock horror. "Then that's hardly a bonfire. It's just a bunch of people sitting around a pile of burning sticks." She rambled.

I smiled, finding her absolutely adorable. "So, the marshmallows are what make it a bonfire?" I asked, seeing that these small puffs of gooey sweetness were very important to her when it came to bonfires.

She grinned back at me, "Of course." She answered, reaching up with her delicate fingers to tug a marshmallow off the stick. She glanced at me with a hint of a smirk on her lips before holding the marshmallow out towards me. "Try it."

I realized that she expected me to pluck the treat from her fingers, but instead, I reached up and wound my fingers around her wrist; feeling my heart race as static once again shot across my skin. Bella seemed to hold her breath as I raised her hand to my face and wrapped my lips around the marshmallow and the tips of her fingers. The sugary goo melted in my mouth and I swallowed it before sucking gently on her fingertips, watching as her eyes fluttered shut and her lips parted as she sighed in what sounded like pleasure. Smiling against her skin, I pulled away, releasing her fingertips with a _pop_.

I waited until she opened her eyes before I spoke. "You're right," I breathed, not breaking eye contact with her. Her eyes widened and she took a shuddering breath. "They do make the bonfire."

She laughed lightly, watching me as I tugged the other marshmallow free, holding it up to her lips in total silence; my fingertips brushed across her lips, taking in their silky texture, feeling them part under my touch before wrapping around the marshmallow and my skin, just as I had done to her.

My breath hitched in my throat when she hummed in pleasure, keeping her eyes locked on my own. She swallowed the melting marshmallow but kept her lips wrapped around my fingers, her tongue running gently across the tips. My breath was now coming and going at a much faster pace as her tongue swirled around my skin, getting rid of any remaining sweetness left by the marshmallow.

Smiling like the vixen she was, Bella pulled away and my hand fell limply into my lap. She turned her face away from me, taking a deep breath before looking back. My eyes immediately fell to her lips which were slightly swollen from what she'd just done, but there was a tiny bit of melted marshmallow on the corner of her lip.

"Something wrong?" She asked gently, her pink tongue poking out to wet her bottom lip.

I blinked in shock, trying to force my reaction to her to keep itself under control – I didn't really want to be sporting one of _those _right now. Shaking my head with a smile, I reached out and brushed my finger across the leftover stickiness on the corner of her pouty lips. Her cheeks heated under my touch and she watched as I raised my finger to my mouth, parting my lips to suck the sweet goo off, the taste that much better with her mixed with it.

Bella's chest rose and fell with her labored breathing as her eyelids drooped, her gaze heated and burning with mine.

I winked.

* * *

We continued to joke and laugh and talk and all late into the night, not leaving until the moon was high up in the sky. We ended up throwing marshmallows at each other at one point – I got one right in Rosalie's hair, and she laughed and whined as Emmett leaned over and ate it straight off her golden locks.

Once we were all packed up, Bella picked up her towel, shaking the sand off it and folding it over her arm as I gazed at the dimly glowing embers of a fire that had long since died. I smiled and followed her back to Rosalie's red M3; she threw her towel in the backseat and turned back to face me.

"I had fun tonight," She whispered, her hair fluttering around her face as the gentle breeze washed over us. The others were over at the Jeep, packing the last of our things away.

I smiled at her, "So did I. It was good to get to know everyone."

She blushed, nodding quietly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So, will I see you around?" She asked softly, watching me with those big doe eyes.

I chuckled quietly, nodding back in reply. "I'm sure of it." _I'll make sure of it, _I corrected inside my head.

She smiled brightly, a smile that I was growing rather fond of, and turned to get in the car. The top was down, so after I closed her door, I leaned against the frame and stared into her deep eyes.

"Until next time, Bella." I breathed, watching as her eyelids fluttered again.

"I look forward to it," She replied in a whisper, sounding more sensual than I would have thought possible, peeking up at me from under her long lashes.

Rosalie and Alice then joined us, bidding their goodnights before getting in the car and driving home. As they disappeared from sight, I glanced up at the moon and thanked each and every star I had ever wished on for bringing me here, to Bella.

I couldn't wait to see her again.

* * *

**BWA: So, what did you think?  
Emmett: I still want some marshmallows.  
BWA: We've gone through so many bags of marshmallows, Emmett.. I don't want any more for a year.  
Emmett: -Whines-  
BWA: Well, Bella only got one bruise from her little fall, and she's all cozy with Edward now, so everything is okay! -Laughs-  
Bella: -Grins-  
Edward: I'm pretty damn comfy.  
Alice: Ewww.  
Jasper: I don't think he meant it like that, Alice.  
Rosalie: Oh, I'm pretty sure he did.  
BWA: -Giggles- Okay, well, as usual, leave me some love and review. I'll do my best to make sure there isn't such a huge wait for the next update, kay?  
Emmett: Okay!  
BWA: Until next time! -Waves-**

* * *


	5. Almost A Kiss

**BWA: Yep! An update!  
Edward: Who else is shocked?  
Everyone: -Raises hands-  
BWA: Oh, come on! -Pouts-  
Emmett: Aww.. -Cuddles-  
BWA: I'm sorry this update took so long. My laptop got a virus and is away getting fixed, so I have to do my writing on our old desktop computer until I get it back.  
Bella: It's okay! We still love you!  
BWA: -Smiles- Well, that's good. If you didn't, I'd be chatting to myself right now.  
Alice: Can you imagine these conversations without us in them?  
Jasper: -Stares- Wow.. that'd be pretty damn boring.  
Rosalie: I know! I mean, who would she talk to?  
BWA: Um..  
Rosalie: Exactly.  
Emmett: Well then, it's a good thing we love her. -Cuddles BWA-  
BWA: Um.. Emmett? My ribs are about to start snapping.  
Emmett: Oh! -Lets go-  
BWA: -Takes a deep breath- Thanks. Anyway, this chapter is during the two years that Bella and Edward denied their feelings for each other. In the first chapter of ILIL, Bella remembers when Edward drove her home and called her beautiful. This is a closer look at that particular moment. -Glares at Bella and Edward- I mean, come on.. Two years?  
Edward: It wasn't our choice!  
Bella: Yeah! You made it two years!  
Emmett: -Pulls faces behind Bella and Edward's backs-  
Edward: And.. -Turns around- What are you doing?  
Emmett: -Stares-  
Edward: -Stares-  
Emmett: .....  
Everyone: ......  
Emmett: -Pokes Edward in the eye-  
Edward: Ouch! Dammit!  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: It never ends.. -Giggles- Read on, lovelies!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie owns it. I wish I did.**

* * *

"Alice, for the love of all that is holy, pick a freaking station already."

Alice, who sat in the passenger's seat of Rosalie's convertible, – our usual mode of transportation – poked her tongue out at the blonde driver, her tiny fingers repeatedly pressing the scanner button on the car radio.

"I'll pick a station when I find one that actually plays good music," She shot back, pausing to hear the tune before scoffing and continuing on her rampage.

"Alice?" I called from the backseat, "Why not just put a CD in?"

I watched as her face lit up in delight before she turned to rummage through Rosalie's stash of CD's. "Bella, you're a genius!"

I rolled my eyes, turning my head to peer out the window and watch the scenery whip past the car as we made our way towards a small Italian restaurant in town. Emmett had demanded we go to an Italian restaurant because he wanted a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

The reason we were going out was to celebrate the fact that Edward had been living in the Pacific Northwest for a year today. Alice, in true Alice fashion, insisted we go out to celebrate; that's where Emmett's spaghetti demand came from.

Edward was more than happy to oblige, and so that's where us three girls were currently headed; to Emmett's favourite Italian restaurant, about half an hour from where we lived. Despite her complaints, I had forbidden Alice to dress me tonight; it was just dinner, I could wear whatever I liked. Although, the short ball of energy had given me a once over when I emerged from my room wearing jeans, and a soft white spaghetti strap shirt, since it wasn't all that cool out; nonetheless, I brought a jacket with me.

I still couldn't believe that Edward had been living here for a year. It seemed like just yesterday that we were meeting each other for the first time at the beach, joking around the bon fire…

I shuddered as the memories danced behind my eyes. Every day since then, my heart would skip and stutter when I was around him, my cheeks would burn and I would get lost in the emerald green of his eyes.

Six months after we met, I realized that I was in love with Edward Cullen.

And I was too scared to tell him.

Every touch felt different, every glance more intense, every word felt like a wave breaking against my skin.

He completely consumed me.

And he had no idea…

I sighed and pressed my forehead against the glass, watching as Rosalie pulled into a park right outside our destination. Rosalie said something to Alice before getting out of the car to wander inside. Sighing again, I opened my door and looked back at my jacket; the breeze was incredibly pleasant, warm but with that subtle chill that balanced it out just right. I wouldn't need my jacket tonight.

"Bella?"

I turned my head to see Alice standing outside the car, leaning against my open door. Her eyes were filled with concern and understanding; I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if she already knew. Alice knew everything that I couldn't say out loud.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked, taking my hands in hers. "You look upset… what's wrong?"

I sighed, looking down at my lap; my eyes were prickling at the corners, and I knew I was going to start crying any second. I took a deep breath and gave Alice's hands a gentle squeeze. "What's wrong is that I'm going to have to walk in there and pretend that I'm not completely in love with Edward."

I heard Alice's quiet gasp, now she knew. "Oh, Bella." She breathed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I just shook my head, unable to form an answer. Why hadn't I told her? Alice had been my best friend since high school, I told her everything. But why was this so hard?

"I was scared…" I whispered.

She dropped my hands and pressed hers to my cheeks, tilting my face up so that I would look at her. Her big eyes widened when she saw the tears about to spill over. "Bella… Oh, sweetheart, come here." She pulled me out of the car and wrapped her arms around me. I hid my face in her hair, sniffling quietly, willing my tears to stop falling.

"Why haven't you told Edward?" She asked, pulling away to glance up at me again.

I scoffed, wiping the backs of my hands against my damp cheeks, catching the last of my tears. "Like I'd take that risk?" I asked in a tiny voice. "Edward means everything to me. What if I told him and he didn't feel the same way? What if he didn't want anything to do with me anymore?" My voice grew more and more hysteric with each word. "I can't take that risk, Alice. I can't lose him."

I watched as Alice's eyes softened, she placed her hands on my cheeks again and made me look at her. "Bella, when are you going to realize that Edward cares about you, too?" I opened my mouth to argue but she shut me up with a sharp glare. "I've seen the way you two look at each other. Did you ever think that he might love you, too?"

"Alice, it doesn't make sense." I whispered.

"What doesn't?"

"It doesn't make sense for him to love me. I'm not good enough for him." My voice hitched and broke at the end.

"Bella," She sighed. "He looks at you with so much awe and admiration. He looks at you like he's fighting the urge to drop to his knees and start kissing your feet. You mean more to him than you realize, Bella. Please, please try to grasp that." Raising an eyebrow, she smiled a little. "You know better than to bet against me."

And I did. I'd lost countless bets that I'd made against Alice, after a while, I learned my lesson. Nodding gently, I sighed and scooped her up in a hug. "I'll tell him when I'm ready. I promise. When I know he feels the same way, I'll tell him."

"You won't have to wait long," She muttered. "He'll let you know. He might not say it, but the emotion is most certainly there."

I sighed and pulled her closer, "Thank you, Alice. I'm glad that… that you know." I felt her arms tighten around me. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep it bottled up."

"You shouldn't have to keep it bottled up like that, Bella." She chuckled. "Love is a beautiful thing, you need to embrace it, not push it aside."

"I know," I responded. "When I'm ready, I promise." I paused for a moment. "Does Rosalie…?"

"I'm pretty sure, yeah." She laughed quietly. "Very perceptive, that girl."

I went to speak again but my stomach chose that moment to gurgle and snarl, letting me know that it was going to keep complaining if I didn't eat soon.

"What?" I asked, letting go of Alice and bending down so that my head was level with my stomach, I turned my ear towards my belly which growled again. "Quit yelling at me!" I whined, patting my stomach reassuringly.

Alice laughed giddily, realizing that I'd said all I needed to, and I was ready to face the world again. "You're a strange one, Bella Swan."

"Maybe so," I agreed. "But that's why you love me."

Rolling her eyes, she linked her arm through mine and together we walked up the steps and into the restaurant. The woman that stood behind the front desk smiled at us politely, her hazel eyes sparkling with a sense of welcoming. She brushed a lock of her blonde hair away from her face and was about to speak when Emmett's loud voice boomed from across the large dining area.

"Bella Ella!"

The woman turned to look at the practically full table before glancing back at us with a smile, tilting her head to the side, silently telling us to join our friends. Alice gave a pleasant sounding thank you before we walked over to our table. Emmett smiled brightly at us, still immersed in conversation with Jasper; I smiled back, shaking my head with a small chuckle.

Alice walked around the table to sit by Jasper, kissing Edward's windblown hair on her way past. Edward smiled at her as she continued on past him before turning back to look at me.

As it always did, my heartbeat stuttered and then accelerated. I glanced down at my feet before looking back at him again, smiling shyly. Edward's smile grew as he looked me over, laughing as he took in the pair of black Converse shoes I wore.

"You managed to avoid getting dressed up tonight, Bella?" He asked in that same velvet voice, and I felt the familiar rushing sensation of being submerged in deliciously warm water.

Remembering that he had just spoken, I dragged myself back into reality and managed a gentle laugh as the tingles from the imaginary warm water continued to break against my skin in gentle ripples.

"What a shock, huh? I never thought she'd agree to let me have free reign." I replied, my smile growing.

Edward laughed, patting the empty seat next to him, "I'm glad she did, I like seeing you look so relaxed."

I felt my cheeks heat up at his words as I sat down, looking over at Alice who grinned knowingly at me from her spot at Jasper's side. He had his arm resting along the back of her chair and her head was nestled in the crook of his neck. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Edward who was watching me with a curious expression.

"Can you believe that you've already been living here for a year?" I asked, reaching up to ruffle his hair, taking a few seconds to enjoy the feel of the silky strands slipping between my fingers.

Edward laughed and playfully swatted my hand away, but I noticed that he leaned his head towards my fingers for the few moments that they were there. "I know! It seems like just yesterday that Jasper was introducing me to everyone down at the beach."

I nodded, smiling brightly up at him, watching as his eyes danced with happiness. "I was thinking about that on the way here." I paused as a new question popped into my head. "Do you ever regret moving here?"

He smiled warmly and caught a lock of my hair between his fingers, twisting it back against my neck, "Not at all. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made."

I blushed again and looked down at my hands, watching as my fingers twitched, desperately wanting to thread through his hair again.

"Hey, Bella?" I looked up at the sound of my name, meeting Rosalie's gaze. "Do you remember that time back in high school when we caught our maths teacher with her shirt tucked into her undies?"

Unable to help myself, I erupted into a fit of giggles, nodding rapidly. The rest of our friends laughed along with us before we all started sharing our own embarrassing stories. Jasper told us about when he was playing baseball in his junior year and he accidentally threw the bat through the principal's office window. Emmett then launched into his story of flinging a condom into his teacher's hair during his senior year Sex Ed class. Apparently, his teacher didn't find out until the lesson was over and she went to put her hair up.

We were still giggling when the waitress came over to take our orders. True to his word, Emmett ordered spaghetti and meatballs. I ordered mushroom ravioli. This place had the best tasting ravioli I'd ever had, and I always ordered it when we came here. We were re-immersed in our storytelling by the time she left; Rosalie had shared the story of how Alice had gotten lipstick on her teeth and no one told her about it, and then Edward told us that on his first day as a freshman, he walked around school with snot on his face. Emmett upped him one better, sharing the story of how he got a boner during his junior year English class when they had a substitute teacher.

Emmett was still trying to explain the substitute's body shape by the time the waitress came back with an astonishing amount of plates balanced on her arms. Emmett was handed his spaghetti and he immediately gave up on explaining, instead, he grabbed his fork and stabbed at a meatball.

"Mushroom ravioli?" The girl called and I raised my hand, all but bouncing in my chair. When she set the plate down in front of me, I took a deep breath and my mouth started watering. Still smelled amazing.

"You okay there, Bella?"

I turned my head, my thoughts still hazy from the smell of my dinner, to look at Edward's face. He was smiling that perfect lop-sided smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Said eyes suddenly darted to my plate and back to my face. "Looking forward to your meal?" He asked, still smiling. I nodded dazedly. "Mind if I try some?"

He reached for a piece of pasta with his fork but I slapped his hand away before he could get too close. "If you want to keep your hand attached to your arm, stay away from my ravioli." I hissed playfully.

"Oooh," Jasper teased from across the table.

"Wow, Bella." Emmett began. "I didn't know you had so much… rawr!" He laughed, raising the hand that wasn't holding his fork into the air, making a clawing motion, like a cat when it's angry.

"Shut up," I muttered, stabbing a piece of pasta and popping it into my mouth, closing my eyes and sighing in delight, chewing happily. Yum.

We continued our storytelling between bites of our food. Alice and I told the group about the time Rosalie broke a heel on her shoe and was so pissed off that she threw it at a nearby car, leaving a rather large dent. Alice then got me by telling everyone about the time during one of our many high school sleepovers where I laughed so hard that the chocolate milk I was drinking came out my nose.

I knew she'd never let me live that one down…

At one point, during another amusing tale, I dropped my hands back to the table, as they had been clamped over my mouth to stifle my giggles, but I froze when it landed on another warm hand. Looking down, I saw that my hand had landed right on top of Edward's. Blushing furiously, I peeked up at him to see him smiling sweetly back at me. He flipped his hand and squeezed my fingers once before letting me slide my hand away.

Once our meals had been consumed, Emmett demanded we have dessert. Edward and I got a slice of apple pie and ice cream to share, since neither of us was hungry enough to eat a plate of food alone. Emmett got a massive plate of waffles and once he was done with those, still claimed to be famished.

By eleven that night, I was pretty much dozing off at the table. Alice saw my exhausted state and laughed. "I think it's time we got you home, Bella." She said as we left the restaurant.

"Hmm?" I mumbled. Get me home? But she had just given in to driving Emmett to McDonald's with the others for a late night cheeseburger.

"Don't worry, Alice." I heard Edward say from behind me; approaching quietly, Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, which woke me right up. "I'll drive her home."

"Are you sure?" She asked, her eyes flicking to Rosalie's car and back to ours. "I mean, it's no problem…"

"No, it's fine, Alice. I should probably get home anyway. I'm pretty tired." I replied, a sudden yawn emphasising my point.

Edward chuckled.

Alice gave up with a shrug and pecked me on the cheek, "You make sure you get some rest. We shouldn't be gone long, only until Emmett gets full."

I laughed a little, "Well then, I expect you home late tomorrow afternoon." I teased.

"Oh, shut up." She shot back, grinning. We both looked towards the car when Emmett honked the horn. She sent me a smile that simply said "he's crazy, but we love him."

"Go on; go get a happy meal or something." I smiled and watched as she rolled her eyes before skipping to the shiny red car. I waved, watching as it pulled away from the curb once all the passengers were in their seats.

Once they were out of sight, I turned back to Edward who was watching me with his usual calm, happy expression. "Thanks for offering to take me home, Edward." I smiled at him, blushing a little.

"Don't worry about it, Bella." He replied, his fingers pushing gently into the skin of my back, where his hand rested. "Now, let's get you home."

We walked in silence to his car, and he opened the door for me, easing me into the seat as I smiled brightly at him. He was such a gentleman. Once I was comfortable, he closed the door and made his way around the car. Both buckled up and ready to go, he pulled away from the curb and we began the drive home.

The drive was quiet but not unpleasant at all; the silence was incredibly peaceful. That's what I liked about Edward, I felt comfortable around him, no matter the situation. I distantly heard a new song start on the radio, the gentle acoustic guitar accompanied by a soft female voice filled the car, and I found myself concentrating when it got to chorus.

_What do you say to taking chances?_

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below,_

_Or hand to hold,_

_Or hell to pay…_

_What do you say?_

I blinked, surprised by the message behind the lyrics. When I heard the volume decrease, I looked to see Edward fiddling with the volume control on the radio. His jaw was tense and he didn't meet my gaze as he turned back to the road.

I wanted to take the chance with Edward, I did. But that's just it, maybe there was hell to pay. Hell for me would be having him reject me, having him say he didn't want me. I didn't want to feel the pain I knew that would cause. I would rather keep my feelings a secret to protect us both.

But I wanted to give in. So badly. I wanted to be able to go to his place and have him waiting for me. I wanted to share his bed and have him kiss me good morning. I wanted to be able to hold him, to feel his hands on my skin, the touches of a lover.

I wanted to love him.

And I wanted him to love me.

More than anything.

I was so deep within my thoughts that I didn't realize that we were at our destination until the purring engine was silenced. Blinking rapidly to clear my head, I unclipped my seatbelt and turned to say goodnight to Edward, but stopped when I saw his expression.

He looked as though he was fighting with himself. He was staring out the windshield but I could tell that his jaw was still tense, his eyebrows were pushed together and his lips were pursed. I noticed a faint flush on his skin that spiked my curiosity.

"Edward…" I whispered into the silence around us, watching as his lips parted and he sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of his name.

Slowly, his tense expression relaxed and he turned to look at me. His expression had changed again; his eyes were filled with an emotion I didn't recognise but it sent a spark shooting through my chest. It was so familiar, but I'd never seen such a powerful emotion before. He remained silent as he raised his hand, trailing the tips of his fingers up my bare arm. It was only then that I realized I had leaned toward him.

"Bella," He sighed, his hand finally cupping my cheek. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine, our noses brushing. My heart stuttered and raced; he had never come this close to me before. "Bella," He sighed again.

"Edward," I breathed, the only word my brain could think of.

"You are so beautiful, Bella. So beautiful." He whispered and I shuddered in response. "There is no creature on this earth more breathtaking than you." His breathing hitched as his thumb traced circles against the apple of my cheek. "Remember that. Please remember that."

"Edward," I gasped once more, unable to think, unable to move.

He exhaled in a heavy, shaky rush and I breathed it in with my sharp gasp. Keeping his hand pressed to my cheek, Edward stretched up and pressed his silky lips to my forehead. This moment was so perfect that my eyes prickled and filled with tears. His lips relaxed against my forehead before he took a breath and kissed my skin once again. I let a small, gasping sob of happiness escape my lips. For this one small moment, I could pretend that he loved me the way I loved him. In this moment, I could believe that it was true.

When his lips left my skin, he tipped his head forward and ran his nose along the spot he had just kissed. I felt him grab my other hand, but I couldn't see past the tears that filled my eyes and dripped down my cheeks.

All too soon, he pulled away but stayed close. His eyes softened further when he saw the tears that I cried. Smiling softly at me, he brushed them away with gentle sweeps of his fingers. "Don't cry, Bella." He whispered. "Angels shouldn't cry."

Hiccupping, I lurched forward and hugged him to me, burying my face in the crook of his neck. His arms wound tightly around me and I shuddered. I'd hugged him plenty of times before, but this was different. This time, instead of holding me in a gentle embrace, Edward pulled me closer, tighter to his body, and I simply sat there, screaming in my head what I was too scared to say out loud.

_I love you._

_I love you._

_I love you._

Once again, before I was ready, he sighed and leaned back; my tears had stopped, but I still hiccupped from time to time. He smiled softly at me, tapping his thumb against the tip of my nose.

"You need sleep, Bella." He said. "Go inside and rest."

I almost asked him to stay, to hold me as I slept, but I bit my tongue. Instead, I gave a small sigh and smiled back at him. "You're right. I should try and doze off now before Alice and Rose get back and Alice decides to chat the night away." I laughed a little, reaching behind me to open my door. I didn't dare tear my eyes away from his. "Goodnight, Edward." I whispered. "Sleep well."

He nodded, smiling still, and watched as I got out of the car. "Goodnight, Bella." He replied. "Sweet dreams."

Sharing one more long, emotional look, I sighed and closed my door, watching as Edward started the Volvo and smiled at me before pulling out of the driveway. He stopped and turned to look at me; I gave him another smile and waved. His body heaved with a sigh I couldn't hear before he waved back and drove off down the street.

Once I was alone, I tipped my head back and gazed up at the moon. The large white orb did nothing, but it felt as though every star in the sky was watching me. I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering the way his lips felt on my skin before I turned and walked up the rest of the driveway.

I slept peacefully that night, my dreams full of Edward and how much I loved him.

* * *

**BWA: What do you think?  
Edward: I think.. we're the most unobservant people in the world.  
BWA: I know! I mean, it took the two of you two years? Really?  
Edward: Didn't we just have this argument?  
BWA: .. Shut up.  
Bella: -Laughs-  
BWA: Anyway, the song, in case you're wondering is called "Taking Chances" I heard it on Glee and fell in love with it. I don't know who sings it originally, but it's very pretty.  
Emmett: So that's what they got up to while we were at McDonalds?  
BWA: Yep.  
Rosalie: Aww.  
Emmett: You mean, they didn't even think to pull the car over and -  
BWA: Don't start.  
Jasper: -Laughs- Well, think about it, the only reason Edward would be so tense was if he was fighting off a b-  
BWA: Shut up!  
Alice: -Giggles- I'm sure Bella would have been happy to help Edward with his problem.  
Bella: Well duh!  
BWA: For Pete's sake.. I'm working with a bunch of perverts!  
Edward: Excuse me? You started it.  
BWA: Well, that's just.. I mean it.. and you.. Shut up! -Whines-  
Everyone: -Starts laughing-  
BWA: -Blushes- Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think. Can anyone else believe that they kept their feelings a secret for another year?? Did you like their embarrassing stories? Let me know! I promise to update again soon.  
Alice: -Sneezes-  
BWA: Bless you.  
Alice: Thanks.  
BWA: -Waves-**


	6. Awkward

**BWA: -Blows the dust off of Turn It Up- Wow. -Coughs-  
Edward: Been a while, huh?  
BWA: Yep. I'm sorry about that, by the way.  
Alice: -Shrugs- No worries.  
BWA: -Smiles- The reason I haven't updated this in so long is because I threw myself into 15 Step, which I'm very proud to announce, is up and running! So if that's something you've been waiting for, amble on over and check it out. Oh! And by the way, I recently started a blog for my stories; the link is on my profile.  
Jasper: -Throws confetti- That's awesome!  
Rosalie: So, what's in this chapter?  
BWA: Well, in this chapter, we have Emmett... wait. Where is Emmett?  
Emmett: -Walks in- What did I miss?  
BWA: -Turns to look at Emmett- Not much. I was just about to mention what's in this chapter.  
Emmett: Woo! -Sits down and puts on stylish glasses-  
BWA: Um..  
Emmett: What?  
BWA: What's with the glasses?  
Emmett: I'm getting in character.. I'm giving some sort of speech, and I was trying to be serious. Glasses are kinda serious.  
Jasper: -Puts on glasses with nose and moustache- How's this for serious?  
Edward: -Puts on giant purple sunglasses- What about these?  
Rosalie and Alice: -Put on matching love heart glasses-  
Bella: -Stares- Wow.. you guys are weird.  
Emmett: -Puts a tophat on Bella's head-  
Bella: -Shrugs- I'm rocking this top hat.  
BWA: -Laughs and puts on Harry Potter glasses- Oh yeah, we're cool.  
Jasper: -Smirks-  
BWA: Okay, well.. instead of explaining what happens in this chapter, I'll just let you read it. I imagine this scene happening not too long after the two of them got together, if that helps.  
Emmett: Read on!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine, we all know that. Quit rubbing it in, Stephenie! **

* * *

"I can't imagine a more awkward moment than that," I giggled, curled up on the couch with Edward as we watched a comedy show I couldn't remember the name of.

Edward chuckled, leaning his head against mine. "Oh, I don't know… we've all had our fair share of awkward moments."

"Don't I know it…" I mumbled, smiling when Edward turned his head and kissed my temple. "I still remember when I was in my freshman year and I couldn't find my shirt when we changed back to our normal clothes after gym class. My god… that was so awkward."

Shaking his head, Edward smirked at me. "Nothing beats my freshman year crisis; a girl got her period in the middle of a lesson and announced it to the entire class. Nothing beats that."

I cringed. "Yeah, okay… that's pretty awkward. Why on earth would she tell everyone?" I asked, unable to understand that.

He shrugged, his brows furrowing as he thought back on the memory. "I have no idea."

We spent the next half hour sharing awkward stories; Edward told me about how he had toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his shoe in his junior year. Burying my face in his neck, I giggled; that was pretty awkward. I felt so bad for him.

"Hey, Bella?" Edward mumbled as I snuggled up against his side.

"Hey, what?" I replied, smiling.

He chuckled softly, "I love you."

My heart melted, as it always did, and I turned his head to mine, kissing him softly. He groaned quietly against my lips, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue into my mouth. My temperature went up several degrees and my heart started to race as I threaded my fingers through his hair.

"I love you, too." I whispered in between kisses.

Just as we started to get into it, a throat clearing interrupted us. Edward pulled away from my lips and looked over towards the hallway. "What's up, Emmett?"

I blinked, trying to get my thoughts to de-fuzz so that I could pay attention to what was being said. Sitting up straighter, I leaned against Edward and turned my head to see Emmett sitting in the recliner not too far from us. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and tenting his fingers in front of him, pressing them to his lips. It was the picture of concentration.

"Something bothering you?" I asked, curious.

He shook his head, watching us intently. "Nothing is bothering me… but we do need to talk."

Edward ran a hand through his hair and I leaned against the arm that was draped across my shoulders. "About what?" He asked, unsure of where this was going.

Emmett exhaled heavily, meeting my gaze. He looked incredibly serious, which was a rarity for Emmett; he was always so happy and easygoing. Whatever this was, it must be very important. Nonetheless, I caught a little glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"Well," he began, drawing the word out. He exhaled, looking as though he didn't know how to start.

"Dude, you know you can talk to us if something is bothering you." Edward said, sounding concerned for his friend.

Emmett nodded, his lips twitching quickly at the corners. "This is very important to me, and I would like to have your full attention." We were silent. "Good." He took a deep breath. "I realize that the two of you are at a point in your relationship where you are experiencing a lot of… urges." I felt my mouth drop open, was he seriously bringing this up? "And you're going to want to become… intimate."

"Sweet baby Jesus…" I sighed, dropping my head back onto Edward's shoulder, my cheeks burning. I should have known that this was just another way for him to torment us.

"Emmett, are you shitting me right now?" Edward asked, disbelieving.

Emmett shook his head, his eyes twinkling; surprisingly enough, he kept the serious expression on his face. "No, Edward. I'm not. You and Bella are going to want to be together physically…" He shrugged. "You know…" Leaning forward, he whispered loudly. "Sexual intercourse."

I turned away, burying my face in Edward's chest as he raised his eyebrows; everyone knew that we had been sleeping together for quite a while now. They were just doing this for shits and giggles; that didn't make it any less embarrassing.

"So, I just wanted to give you two a few pointers." He continued and my head snapped up. Oh God. "There are many things to help you have safe sex; for example, we have condoms and the birth control pill, those two are the most common." I groaned, wanting this to be over. "With the condom, you need to hold the end and carefully –"

"I know how to put a condom on, Emmett." Edward interrupted sharply; I could tell that, even though he was slightly embarrassed, he was enjoying this.

"Oh," Emmett replied, feigning surprise. "Good, then we can move right along. Now, Bella…" I looked up, not wanting to hear what he had to say next. "Edward will be putting his… well; you know… his one-eyed monster, his sausage, his bits, his privates, his wang, weenie, willy –"

"I get it, Emmett." I choked.

He nodded, beginning to smirk. "Well, he'll be putting that into your hoo-ha, your va-jay-jay, your taco, your –"

"Okay!" I squeaked. "I know what you're talking about."

Emmett coughed into his hand, hiding a laugh. "Good. Now, what happens then is Edward will do this…" He stood up and made a few thrusting motions, even swinging his arms back and forth. Edward chuckled softly behind me. "I brought a few diagrams with me in case you want to get a closer look at –"

"Oh my God, shut up!" I cried, throwing my arms in the air. "You know Edward and I are having sex, Emmett! Why the hell did you bring this up?"

He grinned at me before exploding with laughter and calling over his shoulder. "Rose and I win, bitches!"

My eyes widened when the sounds of laughter reached us from the hall. They had been listening…

"You guys are so dead!" I shouted, starting to laugh.

"You know we love you, Bella!" Rosalie called, still giggling. "Thanks for winning me fifty bucks, sweetie!"

Emmett grinned, standing up. "Well, that was fun, let's do it again sometime. I wish you all the best for your future sexual endeavours."

Edward clapped sarcastically. "You could be a sex-ed teacher, Em."

Emmett saluted him before walking to the arch that led to the hallway. Before he left the room, he turned and did that ridiculous thrusting motion again. His laughter blended in with the amusement of our friends, echoing down the hall.

I sank back against Edward, "what the hell just happened?" I asked.

He smiled, still chuckling. "I'm not sure… I think Emmett tried to give us the sex talk."

"God, he's a little late." I sighed, reaching behind my head to pull Edward's lips to mine.

Edward growled into my mouth, pulling me onto his lap. "You know… we could always go upstairs and see what happens when I put my sausage in your taco…"

"Bring it on," I smirked.

Scooping me up in his arms, he carried me upstairs, grinning at me as I squealed and giggled the whole way there.

* * *

**BWA: So, what do you think?  
Bella: It was so awkward!  
BWA: It's supposed to be like that.  
Rosalie: -Stares- Emmett, did you actually call it a taco?  
Emmett: Why yes, yes I did.  
Alice: -Looks at BWA- How the hell did you think of all those names?  
BWA: I have no idea. I'm sure there are plenty that I didn't write down. Hoo-ha is my favourite.  
Edward: I love hoo-ha.  
Bella: -Facepalm-  
Jasper: -Laughs- I thought you liked taco?  
Emmett: Hoo-ha taco!  
Everyone: Ew!  
BWA: That's so gross.  
Edward: Om nom nom!  
Alice: -Squeals with laughter-  
Bella: We're all a huge bunch of perverts. -Smiles-  
BWA: Aren't you proud? -High fives Bella-  
Jasper: We should be getting paid for this.  
Rosalie: No shit. -Laughs-  
Emmett: -Does ridiculous thrusting dance-  
Alice: -Raises eyebrow- Why does that always make me think of Madonna?  
BWA: -Shudders- Bad mental image! Oh my god, ew! Someone get me bleach!  
Everyone: -Laughs-  
****BWA: -Calms down- Okay, moving on from all the horror.  
Edward: -Makes ghost noises-  
BWA: -Smiles- You're a dork.  
Edward: Thanks.  
BWA: Welcome. Anyway, as always, leave a review and tell me your thoughts. Did you laugh? Cringe? Ever had an awkward moment like that? Let me know! Reviews are love! I'll try and update again soon, I promise!  
Emmett: -Dances-  
Everyone: -Stares-  
Rosalie: Bow chicka wow wow.  
**


	7. Sensation

**Emmett: -Plucks guitar strings-  
Jasper: I wouldn't do that, man.  
Emmett: Why not?  
Jasper: One of the strings might..  
-String breaks-  
Jasper: .. Snap.  
Emmett: Damn it!  
Edward: Maybe that's life's way of telling you to give up guitar?  
Rosalie: You could always be an underwear model, baby.  
Alice: .. That could work.  
Emmett: -Poses- You think?  
Rosalie: Sure. We could get discounts.  
Bella: Really?  
BWA: -Bangs head on the desk-  
Jasper: What's up with you?  
BWA: -Tries not to laugh- Why are we discussing underwear?  
Edward: Because Emmett can't play guitar.  
BWA: -Raises eyebrow- I don't see how the two link together.  
Bella: She's got a point.  
Emmett: -Flexes- I have buns of steel.  
BWA: -Starts laughing-  
Jasper: Don't choke.  
Rosalie: Well done, dude. Now she'll probably choke.  
Bella: On what?  
Alice: Air.  
Emmett: -Stretches- Skill.  
BWA: -Tries to calm down- Oh dear.. -snorts-  
Jasper: -Grins- What outtake is this?  
BWA: -Smiles gratefully- This outtake is from chapter ten. Remember how Edward mentioned the lagoon after they recovered from their.. um.. activities?  
Edward: I remember that.  
BWA: Good. Well, this is the scene from the lagoon.  
Alice: Hot.  
Bella: Actually, the water was very cool.  
BWA: -Facepalm-  
Emmett: -Poses- Read on!**

**Disclaimer: It all belongs to Stephenie, I'm just having fun. **

* * *

"So, you're sure you know where we're going this time?" I asked, walking alongside Edward and trying not to become too distracted by the muscles rippling in his back every time he moved.

He chuckled softly, squeezing my hand. "Yes, Bella, I'm sure. We're almost there." He was silent for a moment before he turned and looked at me with a smirk. "I really don't see why we bothered putting clothes back on, they're just going to come straight off."

I rolled my eyes. "There's not much to take off, Edward." I answered, gesturing to the one article of clothing I wore: his shirt. The only thing he had decided to put back on was his shorts; all our other clothes were bunched in our arms.

"I'll give you that," he replied before looking through the trees. "Do you see that?"

"See what?" I asked, looking at his face instead of the path in front of us.

"That way, moron," he teased, pointing straight ahead. "That little break in the trees will lead us straight to the lagoon."

I smiled, hearing the rush of water that was now impossible to miss. Tugging gently, Edward walked quicker through the trees, pushing ferns and drooping branches out of the way before we broke free of the surrounding forest.

"Ta-da," he sighed, letting go of my hand to sweep his arm out widely.

I was speechless.

The scene before me was so amazingly beautiful; the lagoon was three times the size of the swimming pool at home, surrounded by small rocky ledges and bowing trees. Up the very back was a small cave hidden behind a magnificent waterfall; the water was crystal clear, catching the sunlight that filtered in through breaks in the trees.

"Oh, Edward…" I gasped, pressing my hand to my throat. "It's stunning."

He stepped closer, dropping his bundle of clothes to the forest floor. "Want to go swimming?"

I tore my eyes away from the scene before me to look up at Edward. "Of course," I replied, dropping my little handful of clothes and shrugging out of Edward's shirt, laughing as he quickly hopped out of his shorts.

Reaching out, he took my hands and led me to the waters edge, smiling when I gasped at the temperature; it wasn't icy cold like I had expected. It was a very pleasant cool, creating a tender combination with the warm sunlight that spilled in through the leaves.

"Come on," he encouraged, watching as I stepped further into the water. We didn't stop until the water lapped at our hips; Edward pulled me tight against his chest and I sighed happily, kissing the skin over his heart. "Want to go under the waterfall?" he asked, chuckling when I nodded excitedly.

Turning me so that my back was pressed against his chest, Edward walked us forward, tightening his arms around my stomach when we grew closer to the waterfall. I took a deep breath as we came to a stop by the rushing water, feeling it splash against our bare skin. Edward bent down and pressed his lips to my shoulder before he stepped forward, placing us directly under the waterfall.

I gasped as the water washed over my skin, rolling over my shoulders, my breasts and my stomach before trickling into the lagoon. I leaned my head back on Edward's shoulder, my now wet hair sticking to my skin.

Edward looked down at me, his hair pressed flat, wet strands sticking to his forehead. Droplets clung to his eyelashes and ran down his cheeks as he watched me, his face breaking out with a cheeky smile.

I stretched up, pressing my toes into the smooth floor of the lagoon; Edward pulled me closer to him, leaning down to kiss me heatedly under the rushing water. Our bodies responded as our lips met again and again, tongues sliding together and wet skin slipping against wet skin; the sensation drove me mad and I threw myself into the kiss, reaching behind my head to grab the back of Edward's neck, pulling him down so that he curled over me, his chest pressed tightly against my back.

"I want you," I gasped over the gentle sound of the waterfall.

"God, Bella," he gasped, pressing his hips forward, letting me feel his arousal against my lower back. Bending his knees, he let his cock slip between my legs, pressing against my overheated skin.

I shuddered, tilting my head to the side and running my tongue over the skin of his neck, tasting the water there. He groaned and pulled his right arm tighter around my stomach, reaching up with his left hand to cup one of my breasts, flicking his fingers over my nipple.

A whimper passed my lips before I bit down lightly on his neck, shifting my hips and letting one of my hands slip beneath the water; I took him in my hand and he shuddered, groaning into my hair. I tilted my head and sucked his bottom lip into my mouth as I guided him inside me, feeling him slip easily against my slick skin. We held still when his hips pressed flush against my bottom and I groaned against his lips as he twitched inside me.

I broke the kiss and shuddered in his arms. "Please…" I whimpered, rolling my hips back. "_Please._"

Edward exhaled heavily and pulled his hips away, almost sliding out of me completely before pushing gently back in. My head fell back against his shoulder and I moaned, rocking with him; he trailed his hand down between my breasts and over my stomach, following the path the water took as it rolled down my skin.

"Fuck, Bella." He breathed, kissing my temple and gasping in my ear as he increased the force of his thrusting. "You feel so good…"

I bit down on my bottom lip as he thrust heavily inside me, striking the spots that made my skin tingle; the coil in my stomach wound tight, ready to spring at any given moment. Being under the waterfall intensified everything, the way we moved, the feelings it evoked, even how his skin felt against mine.

Edward's hand moved back up to my breast, resting firmly over the skin of my heart as his other hand dropped under the water so that he could brush his fingertips over my clit. My back arched away from him and I cried out as a burst of heat rolled over my body; I was so close.

"Edward… please, please… oh god, _please_," I gasped, pushing my hips back to take him deeper. The cool water continued to wash over my skin, raising goose bumps as I raced towards climax.

"Almost," Edward grunted, his hips leaping toward mine. "I'm so close, Bella."

I moaned loudly and when I felt him pinch my clit between his fingers, my world came undone.

I cried out in ecstasy, my body trembling and arching as I rode out my orgasm; heat rolled over my skin in heavy waves, making my back arch and my chest heave as I gasped for breath. Edward moaned deeply, his body stilling as he jerked wildly inside me; we stood there, wrapped in each others arms as our orgasms passed, leaving us feeling completely satisfied.

Water continued to roll over our bodies as we fell silent, waiting for our breathing to even out and our racing hearts to slow. Edward's head dropped onto my shoulder and I kissed his temple, stroking his wet hair; he hummed in content against my skin, his arms loose and relaxed around my stomach.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

I smiled, closing my eyes and cuddling closer to him. "We need to come here more often."

He laughed softly, kissing my shoulder. "Deal."

* * *

**BWA: So, what do think?  
Rosalie: I think.. I want to go swimming with my underwear model.  
Emmett: -Grins- Score.  
BWA: -Laughs- It was odd writing a lemon with our favourite ILIL couple. It's been a while.  
Edward: No shit. That was like.. most epic cock-block ever. You suck for doing that.  
Emmett: Rosie loves to suck -  
BWA: Shut. The. Hell. Up.  
Alice: This is a bit of a tradition for us, don't you think?  
Rosalie: -Laughs- I'd say so.  
Jasper: It's always at its worst when we're all in the same room.  
BWA: -Giggles- No kidding.  
Bella: I think it's time to go back and visit that little lagoon again.  
BWA: You were there yesterday.  
Bella: What's your point?  
BWA: Oh dear.  
Edward: Bow chicka wow wow.  
Alice: -Squeals with laughter- Don't start that!  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Well, before we go completely crazy.. what did you think? Like it?  
Bella: Why yes, yes I did.  
Jasper: You like anything that involves Edward's bits.  
Edward: Who doesn't? -Winks-  
BWA: -Stares- You're an idiot.  
Edward: You love me.  
BWA: -Whacks the back of Edward's head-  
Edward: Ow. -Whines-  
Emmett: -Laughs- Pansy.  
Edward: That's rich, coming from the aspiring underwear model.  
Rosalie: Hey! No knocking the buns.  
Alice: Ew.  
BWA: Okay, we need to go. -Laughs- Reviews are love, dear readers, and we love you.  
Alice: -Waves- **


	8. Forever Yours

**BWA: Um, remember us?  
Emmett: -Smiles- How long has it been?  
BWA: I don't even want to know.  
Bella: -Frowns- When I read capital letters THE VOICE IN MY HEAD YELLS!  
Edward: -Flinches- Did you have to yell, though?  
Bella: Yeah, I did.  
BWA: Okay, um... so, it's been a while.  
Alice: I think we covered that.  
BWA: -Laughs nervously- Moving on. This outtake is from chapter eleven. A lot of people asked me what Edward gave Bella for Christmas, so I thought I'd share that sweet little moment with you.  
Edward: I'm so romantic.  
Bella: It wasn't very romantic when you managed to fart yourself awake this morning.  
Jasper: -Snorts-  
Rosalie: Ew.  
BWA: Alright, enough of our stupidity. Go read!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. **

* * *

Bella sighed in content as I brushed my fingers across the small of her back, her body pressed against my side. Our bodies were beginning to cool from our passionate lovemaking just minutes before; I could feel the gradually slowing beat of Bella's heart as she calmed.

"You know, I _do _still have a present to give you." I told her, nuzzling my nose into her hair.

She huffed, her warm breath fanning across my chest. "You didn't have to get me anything, you're more than enough."

I chuckled before sliding out of the bed – much to Bella's annoyance – and crossing the room to pluck a rectangular box from my jean pocket.

"What are you doing?" She whined. "Get back over here."

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming." I soothed, making my way back to her.

"That's what she said," she chuckled, stretching her arms above her head and arching her back. The sheets slipped off her chest, settling down around her soft hips and I found myself momentarily distracted by her body. "Edward, you okay?"

I blinked rapidly to clear my head of the images of her writhing and rocking above me and flashed a smile at her. "I'm fine." I told her, sliding back under the sheets and sitting up against the headboard. "Now, are you going to be difficult about this?" I asked, showing her the small box in my hands.

She bit down on her bottom lip as her beautiful doe eyes flicked from the box to my face and back again. "No, I won't be difficult." She replied, sitting up next to me.

"Good girl." I smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "Well… Merry Christmas, Bella."

"Merry Christmas, Edward." She replied quietly, carefully taking the box from my hands. I watched as she inhaled deeply before lifting the lid and peering inside; when she saw my gift the breath she had just taken whooshed out of her lungs. "Oh…"

"Do you like it?" I asked. It was easy to see that she did.

"I…" she trailed off and shook her head to clear it. "I love it, Edward. It's so beautiful. But it's too much…"

I pressed a finger to her lips and smiled tenderly at her. "Bella, I would give you the world if I could. For now, I'll settle with giving you a small reminder of the fact that my heart belongs to you."

As I spoke, her eyes filled with tears and I quickly brushed them away with my thumbs before kissing her cheeks.

"Can you help me put it on?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course, sweet girl." I replied, delighted by the fact that she wanted to put it on already.

She smiled at me through her still falling tears before she turned on the bed and piled her hair on her head. I bent down and ran my lips along the back of her neck before placing a gentle kiss there; she sighed happily and leaned back against my chest as I fastened the delicate chain around her neck. "There," I whispered against her shoulder. "Let me see."

I watched as she turned, showing me my gift against her skin. There, nestled into the hollow of her throat, was a silver heart pendant with my words engraved on the surface.

_Forever and forever and forever_

_I love you, Bella_

"Perfect," I sighed.

Bella sniffled before lurching forward and wrapping her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. I smiled and wound my arms around her small body, hugging her close. "Thank you, Edward. My heart belongs to you, as well. Always has and always will."

"Forever and forever and forever," I whispered in her ear before tilting her head back and capturing her lips in a soft, loving kiss.

As we fell back down onto the mattress, our bodies coming together, I couldn't help but think of another velvet box hidden in one of my clothes drawers and the engagement ring nestled within.

I couldn't wait to see it on her finger.

* * *

**BWA: Yep, Edward had Bella's ring all the way back then.  
Alice: Aww.  
Jasper: -Flexes- I'm not trying to impress you or anything, but when I was younger... I went to a PG movie without my parents.  
Emmett: Dun dun duun.  
BWA: -Smiles- Well, what did you think? Like it? Glad to finally know what he got her? Want to kill me for taking so long with this update? -Looks around for a hiding space-  
Edward: Do you know what the most awkward moment possible is?  
Rosalie: When you miss the longest note on Guitar Hero.  
Edward: -Nods sadly-  
Bella: -Grins- You missed it, didn't you?  
Edward: -Sulks- Maybe.  
BWA: Anyway...  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Alice: And we love you!  
Jasper: So leave us some love?  
Rosalie: And don't forget to check out the blog!  
Bella: You know what I've always wondered?  
BWA: What?  
Bella: What do you boys do at sleepovers?  
-Awkward silence-  
Emmett: See you later! **


	9. Just Say Yes

**BWA: -Blows dust off of TIU- ACK! -coughwheeze-  
Emmett: -Points and laughs-  
BWA: -Glares-  
Emmett: That's what you get for not updating.  
Edward: Speaking of which, why has this taken you so long?  
BWA: You honestly thought I'd be willing to get back inside your crazy heads?  
Rosalie: Well, yeah.  
BWA: -Smiles- Fair enough. Anyway, it's good to see you all again! It's certainly been a while. Nonetheless, I thought you might like another outtake before Christmas.  
Alice: How long have you been writing these outtakes?  
BWA: I don't even remember. Hopefully I can crank out the last couple before the new year.  
Bella: Place your bets!  
Jasper: That's a lost cause right there.  
BWA: Oh, shut up or I'll write you all out of the story.  
Jasper: Um, honey? We're the only characters IN the story.  
BWA: ... -facepalm-**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine :) **

* * *

"I swear to God, Alice, that guy was checking you out," Rosalie laughed before taking a sip of her drink.

"What does it matter?" Alice responded with a grin. "I'm taken." To better emphasise her point the petite girl raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers, showing off the glittering diamond ring.

The three of us were out on the balcony of our favourite restaurant for lunch and a few drinks. In all honesty, Alice had asked us out so that we could go over some of the basic wedding details: bridesmaid dresses, dinner courses, music, yada yada yada. Not that she needed our help, though. Alice was a force to be reckoned with when it came to planning things and since this particular occasion was her own wedding, no one dared get in her way.

The big day was another two months away and almost everything had been decided upon. Little miss Alice just wanted to double check… for the millionth time.

"Seriously kiddo, give it a rest," I told her, smiling into my glass. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I guess you're right," she sighed, relaxing into her chair.

"You don't guess, you know."

Rose snickered, picking at her lunch.

"So, how's the house hunt going?" I asked as I glanced out over the balcony.

Alice and Jasper had decided to start looking for a house of their own not too long after they got engaged. We all knew that we wouldn't be living together forever, but we promised never to stray too far. The house we had bought would become a holiday house of sorts once we had all moved out. It held too many memories to let go, and we had paid an ass-ton for it, too.

"Not too bad," Alice replied with a soft smile. "We're going to look at another place next Tuesday. Jasper picked it out; I honestly think we may have found our home."

"You haven't even gone to see it yet," Rosalie teased.

Alice glared at her, a playful edge to the set of her lips. We all knew that when Alice had an inkling about something it was not to be second guessed. If she thought that was where they were going to live, then she was probably right.

Word to the wise: never bet against Alice.

"What I don't understand is why you haven't started planning your big day," I said, looking to Rosalie. She had been the next one to get engaged and had only decided on Alice and I being her maids of honour. Yeah, that's a plural.

"Like I'm gonna go up against Alice," she scoffed. "Besides, Emmett and I have decided to wait a little bit."

"Oh dear," Alice sighed. "You're not going to be one of _those _couples, are you? With the ridiculously long engagement?"

"Hell no," she laughed. "We're just gonna extend it by a few months. Maybe in the new year."

The two of them got into a playful argument after that and I broke away to order another round of drinks, finding two pairs of eyes on my face when I turned around again.

"What?"

"I'm surprised Edward hasn't popped the question yet, Bella Ella," Alice spoke up, smiling in that I-know-something-you-don't-know way of hers.

I rolled my eyes. "He will when he's ready, get off my dick."

"Isn't it usually get off my back?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, but we all know that Alice loves my dick."

The blacked haired girl smirked at me. "Honey, if you had a dick, I'd be wondering about your relationship with Edward…"

"Yeah, like who bottoms?" Rose snickered and we all broke out into loud laughter.

Amidst our giggling, my phone began to ring and I was quick to pull it from my pocket, smiling at the name on the screen. Pressing the answer button I raised the phone to my ear.

"Hey, baby," I greeted, a pleasant shiver running down my spine at the soft chuckle that came through the receiver.

"Hey you," Edward replied, his voice like melted butter. "You having fun?"

"Don't I always?" I said. "What do you need?"

"You know me so well," he joked. "I was wondering if you'd be able to meet me down on the beachfront in about a half hour?"

"The beach?" I questioned, noticing that Rosalie and Alice had stopped laughing and were now watching me intently. I gave them the bird.

"More specifically, the one where we first met," he said. "Do you think you'd be able to get there?"

"Sure, I'll leave in five."

"Fantastic, I'll see you soon," he sounded excited, impatient. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

I smiled. "I love you, too."

Hanging up the phone, I put it back in my pocket and turned to my friends. "That was Edward," I told them. "He wants me to meet him down by the beach where we first met in a half hour."

Alice's jaw dropped. "You don't think…?"

"He might," Rosalie continued. "What other reason would he name that specific beach?"

In all honesty I was wondering that myself, but I knew Edward had his reasons.

With a quick roll of my eyes I gave the girls my share of the bill and rose from my seat, collecting my hand bag and kissing my two best friends on the cheek before I left, hearing their cheers of encouragement follow me all the way to my car.

Sliding into my sleek black Mercedes, I pulled out of the parking lot and set off for the beach. The girls and I had spent a few good hours at the restaurant and so by the time I reached my destination the sun was on its way toward the horizon, painting the sky in a series of purples, oranges, pinks and blues.

I saw Edward's Volvo in the empty car park and pulled in next to it, cutting the engine and listening to the silence that filled the air. I couldn't see him anywhere, but that didn't mean he wasn't around. Sneaky ass boyfriend.

Leaving my things in the car, I got out and made my way down the path to the sand, hearing the sound of a crackling fire the closer I got.

When I reached the beachfront I couldn't hold back my shocked laughter, my heart racing at the sight before me.

Standing in the sand was my Edward, dressed in jeans and a grey shirt. Behind him a beautiful bon fire roared away and I giggled when I spotted a bag of marshmallows on a blanket he had laid out.

"Are you going to stand there all evening or are you going to come over here and kiss me?"

I blinked and grinned at him, pulling my shoes off and running through the sand, leaping into his arms and pressing my lips to his.

He hummed into the kiss, burying a hand in my hair while the other held firm to my waist. We kissed lazily, eventually falling back onto the blanket in a tangle of limbs, laughing against each others lips.

"So, what's the occasion?" I asked once we had finished making out like the teenagers we once were.

I swear I saw a flicker of nerves pass over his features before he smiled at me and reached for the marshmallows. "You'll find out."

We laughed our way through the bag of marshmallows, eating them the same way we had the day we met. A day that felt like a lifetime ago. We spoke about anything and everything; what we had for dinner, our latest Wii tournament, Emmett and Jasper's wrestling match this morning. It was calm and relaxed, very us.

When the sun was just peeking over the horizon, Edward disentangled himself from my embrace, rising to his feet and holding a hand out for me to take. Pulling me up, he led me toward the waters edge, the glow of the fire and the warm light of the sunset bathing us in beautiful shades of gold and lavender.

"Bella?" he began, pulling me from my thoughts of marshmallows and crashing waves.

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course," I murmured, cupping his cheek in my hand.

He smiled, turning his face into my palm and kissing the skin there. "Don't freak out, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, my brows furrowing. What was he getting at?

My unspoken questions were answered when he lowered himself onto one knee, taking my left hand in his.

"Oh my God," I whispered, eyes wide.

Edward looked up at me through his lashes and smiled, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a small box that I hadn't felt earlier. Had he grabbed it before he stood? "Bella," he began again. "You stole my heart the moment I met you right here on this beach. You make me laugh and I know I can be myself around you; every day I thank all the things that brought us to where we are today. We have made so many beautiful memories and I hope that the ones we make from here on out will be ones where I can call you my wife." By this time, I had tears streaming down my cheeks. "Isabella Swan, I love you with everything that I am and so much more. Will you marry me?"

With that he popped open the little velvet box and revealed the elegant diamond ring inside. But my eyes were not on the ring; instead they were focused on his face, his beautiful green eyes.

"Yes," I breathed, watching as the emeralds lit up unlike anything I had ever seen. "Yes, Edward, I want nothing more than to marry you. Yes, yes, yes."

He smiled so wide I worried that it would hurt his cheeks before plucking the ring from the box and slipping it onto my finger. He stared at it for a moment before rising to his feet and cupping my face in his hands.

"We're getting married," he whispered, almost as though he didn't believe it.

I nodded, kissing his thumbs as they ran over my bottom lip.

Taking a deep breath, Edward tossed his head back and cried at the top of his lungs, "Isabella Swan is going to marry me!"

I squealed with laughter when he picked me up and spun me around in endless circles, kissing my cheeks, my forehead, my nose, my neck, my lips, anywhere he could reach. The sun set as we celebrated, the flames of the bon fire burning almost as bright as our love for each other.

* * *

**Alice: -Squee-  
BWA: Yeah, I thought you might like to know how the proposal went down.  
Emmett: -Snort- It went down, huh?  
BWA: Is your mind always in the gutter?  
Emmett: Pretty much.  
BWA: -Grins- Okay, so I have something I want to run by you guys before we shut the hell up. Originally, I only planned to write one more outtake, but lately I've been wanting to write a futuretake so we can see what these guys get up to a few years down the track. Now, I'm still up in the air about it so I've decided to leave the decision to you. So, what do you reckon? Is that something you'd like to see?  
Jasper: And if we don't see you for a few weeks, we hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year!  
Rosalie: You little cutie.  
Jasper: -Smiles proudly-  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Edward: And we love you!  
Bella: So leave us some love?**


End file.
